Description
Jaques Late Lessing Staunton Chessmen, Small Club Size.
A set of Jaques Late Lessing Staunton Chessmen, Boxwood and Ebony. “Jaques London” is inscribed on the base of both Kings. The King’s crown mark is imprinted on the summits of the Kingside Rooks and Knights. The set is heavily weighted. The pieces sit atop green English baize base pads. Although the chess pieces themselves are in excellent condition, there a couple of issues. One Boxwood Bishop, One Boxwood Rook and the Boxwood Queen are slightly darker than the rest of the army. As for the Knight carving, the less said, the better. That aside, this would make a very robust playing set. The King stands 3-7/8″ tall with a 1-7/8″ diameter base. In the post-1899 advertisements, this size set was referred to as the “Small Club Size”. After the company incorporated in 1899, the sizes changed somewhat. The Small Club Size now sets had a 3-7/8″ King with 1-7/8″ to 1-7/8″ diameter base. The pre-1899 Small Club-size sets had 4-0″ Kings with 1-7/8″ diameter bases. The post-1899 full Club sets now had a 4-1/4″ King with a 2″ diameter base.
The chessmen are housed in their original, expertly restored green leather casket. Aside from the wood color inconsistencies mentioned, the Jaques Lessing Staunton Chessmen themselves and leather casket are in excellent condition. A picture of a similar set is shown in The World of Chess by Anthony Saidy and Norman Lessing. This design dates to around 1935 or later. There is no chessboard included in this sale, but suitable boards are available elsewhere on this site. For our complete inventory of antique and modern chessboards, check here. For a brief look at the Jaques Company story click here. If you are looking for more information on the Staunton Chessmen, check here. Some tips on collecting Staunton chessmen can be found here.
