Description
Lund Anglo-Indian Reproduction Bone Chessmen.
Offered here is a new set Lund Anglo-Indian Reproduction Bone Chessmen. This magnificent reproduction is offered in natural and Red-Stained or brown-stained Camel bone. The King stands an impressive 4-1/2” tall with a base diameter of 1-1/2”. These Lund Anglo-Indian Reproduction Bone Chessmen are unweighted, as were all bone and ivory chessmen. These majestic chessmen are best played and displayed on a chessboard with 2-1/4″ or 2-3/8″ squares. This reproduction was executed by Frank Camaratta and is part of the Frank Camaratta Signature Series. Each set is numbered. Only 12 sets will be produced. The set is available in natural Camel Bone and either Red or Black and Natural. The Red Amboyna and Ebony chessboard shown is not part of this offering, but a suitable chessboard can be purchased elsewhere on this site.
Some History.
India has a rich association with chess. The modern version of chess is linked to an earlier version called Shatranj that evolved in Indian from around the 6th century AD, which is thought to have been derived from an earlier game called Chaturanga. India had the materials and expert craftsmen needed to make fine objects and chess sets were a natural fit. Dating, naming and identifying the exact region of origin of Indian sets is not an exact science, but this style dates to around 1800. A lot of the current information seems to be based on a minimal amount of data.
The British East Indian Company was setup in India in the early 1600s and by the later part of the 1700s they controlled much of India’s exports. A vast amount goods were created in India and exported to Europe (mostly Britain) to fulfill demand. The lower cost of skilled labor in India allowed the items to be priced competitively. The majority of their chess sets were created for, and targeted at, the export market where demand was strong. This affected the design and themes of the sets themselves, which were often very elaborately carved and turned. The majority of sets created in the 18th and 19th century were decorative playing sets carved and turned from ivory.
In order to compete in their own British marketplace against the flood of Indian-made chess sets using cheap Indian labor, many of the established English craftsmen turned to copying or modifying the more elaborate Indian chessmen designs that were being imported and adding features and embellishments of their own, such as distinctive Knight heads and rusticated pedestal Rooks. One of these English manufacturers was Thomas Lund. His workshop was located at 57 Cornhill, London. His sets were often stamped “ THOMAS LUND Maker 57 CORNHILL”. His son, William Lund, was located at 23-24 Fleet Street. Thomas Lund had several occupations, but one of them was the manufacture of chess sets from the early 1800’s until his death in 1843. William Lund, Thomas’ son, continued to make sets throughout the rest of the 19th century, and is one of the most well-known of the manufacturers. This particular style was most likely made by Thomas Lund. This particular style falls under the general heading of Anglo-Indian chess sets.
The House of Staunton name is now recognized World-Wide as synonymous for quality and exquisite design – the chessmen for those with exquisite taste. The perfect gift for the man or woman who has everything. They are so well respected that they even made the comics!
