Description
Vintage Tarascan Bone Pulpit Chessmen
Offered here is a set of vintage Mexican Tarascan Bone Pulpit chessmen (also known as Tarasco), a style often referred to as “pulpit” due to the stacked, turned bases resembling pulpits or cantilevered structures. The King stands a statuesque 5-1.4″ tall with a 1-3/8″ diameter felted base. These Tarasco Bone Pulpit Chessmen are characterized by wood bases (natural or lacquered) with carved native bone headpieces, intricate piercing and turning on the stems, and painted details on the busts or figures, such as the stylized human faces with makeup, mustaches, and hats seen here, along with horse heads for knights and tower-like rooks.
Each piece showcases fine hand-carved details: pawns as colorful busts in red and blue attire, knights as majestic horse heads, rooks as fortified towers, bishops with ornate miters, the Kings and Queens are adorned in regal splendor. The pawns are small busts in colored attire (red and blue), typical of this folk-art tradition.
This set of Tarasco Bone Pulpit Chessmen was manufactured in central Mexico, specifically in regions like Michoacán (e.g., Paracho), by indigenous Tarascan (Purépecha) artisans. These sets were rafted primarily for the tourist trade, while embodying indigenous Tarascan artistry,
The pieces are stored within an inlaid folding box, (similar to to one shown in the gallery) which also serves as the chessboard. The combination folding chessboard/storage box shown in the gallery is included in this offering, The black and white Spanish veneer chessboard shown in the images is not included.
Background.
Tarasco, Indian people of northern Michoacán state in central Mexico. The area in which the Tarasco live is one of high volcanic plateaus and lakes; the climate is arid and cool. Geographically and culturally, Mesoamerica consists of two strongly contrasted regions: highland and lowland. The Mexican highlands are formed mainly by the two Sierra Madre ranges that sweep down on the east and west. The extreme diversity of the Mesoamerican environment produced what has been called a symbiosis among its subregions. Interregional exchange of agricultural products, luxury items, and other commodities led to the development of large and well-regulated markets.
