Description
Antique Anglo-Indian Monobloc Chessmen.
Offered here is an elaborately carved set of Antique Anglo-Indian Monobloc chessmen, most likely carved in the Berhampur region of India. The King stands 3.7″ tall with a 1.6″ diameter base. The pieces are green stained and natural, all but the rooks are baluster knopped and tiered form, carved with copious leaf and floral embellishments. The Kings have crown finials, and the Queens have knop finials. The bishops sport stylized miter-shaped tops while the knights are represente3d as pedestal-mounted horses’ heads. The Rooks are rusticated towers with castellated tops and flag finials. The pawns have lobed knop finials. The chessmen derive their name “Monobloc” from the praxis of carving this style of chessmen from a single piece of bone or ivory, rather than an assemblage of individual smaller pieces screwed together like most sets of this era. The chessmen are in excellent condition. No chessboard is included with this set of chessmen, but a suitable chessboard can be found here. This chess set was produced around 1830.