Lot #612. 1966 Austin Enterprises Aluminum Modernistic Chess Pieces
1966 Austin Enterprises Modernistic Chess Pieces
These are the Austin Enterprises Modernistic Chess Pieces which were produced in 1966. In 1962, the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) launched a marketing program to advance the selling of their aluminum products. As a result of a design and marketing collaboration, there emerged a strikingly beautiful, very modernistic, abstract chess set designed by Austin E. Cox A.S.I.D. of “Austin Enterprises” and the advertising agency of Ketchum, McLeod & Grove. The chess pieces offered here were designed in 1966 and are a follow-up to that famous set. This is the smaller of the two versions designed by Cox, and the more difficult to find.
The 32 pieces of this minimalist design were cut from extruded aluminum bars. The white army retaining its natural polished aluminum finish. The black army was differentiated by copper-toned anodized sides with polished natural aluminum faces. The King is approximately 2″ tall. One Bishop has black stamped marking under its base which reads: ® AE. © 1966. The walnut case has a blue tinted Plexiglas sliding door. The chessmen are in very good-to-excellent, but could use a polishing. The box is in good shape and shows some wear consistent with long-term storage. The Display box is designed so that it can be hung on a wall as a display piece. No Chessboard is included, but the attractive etched black etched glass chessboard shown can be purchased for an additional $100 plus S&I. To view our extensive offerings of antique and modern chessboards, click here.
