Description
Cased Meerschaum Sultan Chess Set.
A Cased Meerschaum Sultan Chess Set, hand-carved in Turkey, 20th Century, Kings as Sultans with Queens as viziers. The King stands 3-3/4″ tall with a 1.3/8″ diameter base. The Queens are represented as “wazir” and “firzan” or “firz.” The bishops are Elephants (an Indian tradition), the knights are fully carved horses, and the Rooks are stout, reticulated towers. Brown versus White armies are similarly carved. The chessmen are portrayed as figural pieces standing atop simple pedestal bases. The chess pieces are housed in their original velvet fitted case which closes to form an inlaid chessboard measuring 15″ overall with 1-3/4″ squares. As new condition. Circa 1960.
Meerschaum Sultan Chess Sets are made in villages near Eskisehir in Aegean Turkey. Nowadays the meerschaum reserves are rapidly being depleted. The meerschaum is mined 30 to 450 feet below the surface. Meerschaum is light weight and soft. Hence, to preserve the integrity of the meerschaum blocks for carving, it is mined traditionally with hand tools. The chess pieces are hand-carved by Turkish artisans when the Meerschaum is soft. After the drying process, the pieces are hand-polished to a smooth luster.
What is Meerschaum?
Sepiolite, also known in English by the German name “meerschaum” meaning “sea foam,” is a soft, white clay mineral. This mineral is commonly used in the manufacture of tobacco pipes, which are referred to as meerschaum pipes. Meerschaum is a complex magnesium silicate. It can be found in several forms, including fibrous, fine-particulate, and solid varieties. The mineral was originally named “Meerschaum” by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1788. Later, in 1847, Ernst Friedrich Glocker named it “sepiolite” after an occurrence in Bettolino, Baldissero Canavese, Torino Province, Piedmont, Italy. The name “sepiolite” is derived from the Greek word “sepion”, meaning “cuttlebone” (the porous internal shell of the cuttlefish), and “, meaning “stone,” due to its perceived resemblance to cuttlebone.
