German Ivory Chess Set (Erbach), early 20th century

German Ivory Chess Set (Erbach), early 20th century

This extraordinary chess set was made in Erbach, Germany, probably in the early 20th century. The pieces are carved from elephant ivory, one side natural, the other stained dark brown. The king size is 7.5 cm. The set seems to be depicting a medieval European court with robed and crowned kings and queens. The rooks as towers in an unusual cylindrical shape with ring-shaped indentations as a hint of masonry with a small flag on top. The knights as rearing horses with a mounted rider armed with sword and shield. The bishops as robed clerics with mitre. The pawns as foot soldiers, the whites armed with lance and small shield, the blacks holding a large shield to the ground, which in my view artistically symbolises the attacking role of the white side and the defensive role of the black side.

The chess set formerly belonged to the collection of Dr. Halvor Jaeger and most recently to the collection of Michael Wiltshire.
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