French / German Bone Bust Chess Set, ca. 1880-1920

French / German Bone Bust Chess Set, ca. 1880-1920

Here is a chess set that I cannot place. I acquired the set in France and some of the chessmen are reminiscent in style of those from Dieppe, especially because they are shown as busts on pedestals. However, unlike the usual Dieppe ivory sets, these pieces are made of bone, one side natural, the other dyed brown-black, the white figures with additional details painted on in colour. In addition, the quality falls well short of the usual Dieppe sets. Nevertheless, the chess set is interesting because the king wears a bonnet-like crown on his head, which is very similar to that of bone chessmen from Geislingen which are stylistically related to Dieppe sets. The crown itself is reminiscent of Napoleon's coronation crown. The kings wear a uniform with a sash and colourfully painted rows of buttons as well as a medal on the left breast. The queens are shown with an off-the-shoulder dress and a three-cornered tiara on their heads. Interesting are the bishops, which are obviously officers of the Dragoons or Horse Guards with their typical helmets. The knights are relatively simply carved horse heads, the rooks are round towers with brickwork. The pawns are depicted as simple soldiers wearing a side cap, also known in France as a bonnet de police or in French Canada as calot de campagne. King size is 8.1 cm.
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