Description
Large Type II Bone Barleycorn Chess Set.
Here a fine example of a large Type II Bone Barleycorn Chess Set. The chess pieces are natural and stained red. The royal pieces feature ornate adornments on their barrel-shaped bodies. The King sports a splayed floral finial. The Queen wears a simple teardrop topped Orb. The chessmen are all mounted atop smooth baluster stems with circular bases. The chessmen are fabricated from bone, natural and red-stained. True Barleycorn style chessmen have barrel-bodied Kings and Queens, and are normally fabricated from bone, rarely ivory. The King stands an impressive 4-7/8″ tall with a 1-3/8″ diameter base. The Rooks are pedestal-mounted reticulated towers with staff and flag finials. The Bishops, Knights and Pawns are baluster mounted headpieces with simple turned bases and collars. The chessmen are in excellent condition for their age. The pieces are housed in a period replacement box, This Large Type II Bone Barleycorn Chess Set was probably produced between 1820 and 1830.
Some Background.
The term Type II English Barleycorn chessmen is used to describe a range of Barleycorn designs which feature ornately carved bodies and finials on the Royal pieces. These chessmen were primarily fabricated from bone and were made in England and Central Europe throughout the 19th century. The chess pieces, with the exception of the Rooks, will be pedestal mounted. The Rooks are normally stout towers, often sporting tapered staffs or secondary towers and flags. The English Barleycorn chessmen first appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, which coincided with the advent of the ornamental lathe.