Chine - Chess set - Bone

Sculpted bone Chinese chess set, circa 1960

This chess set consists of thirty-two sculpted bone pieces, tinted in two camps, one remaining natural white, the other honey brown, each piece resting on a small stepped base. The figures, finely turned on the lathe and hand-chiseled, borrow their iconography from the Chinese imperial court: pawns depicted as helmeted soldiers carrying a saber slung over the shoulder, rooks as multi-tiered pagodas, knights as rearing horses, while kings and queens take the likeness of courtiers and ladies of the court in flowing, finely striped robes, wearing caps or ornate buns. The pieces bear, under their base, a round blue label with gold inscription in Chinese characters. The whole is stored in a rectangular box of green and blue cotton with a geometric rosette motif, the interior lined with turquoise satin forming sewn compartments to hold each piece individually; a soft red and black silk chessboard, folded separately, completes the set.

This production falls under Chinese export handicraft that developed throughout the 19th century, mainly in the workshops of Canton. Functionally, these games, often called “Mandarin boards” or “Chinese court games” by Western merchants, were not intended for intensive playing use but rather for decoration and collection; their fragility and price made them more curiosities to display than chess games used daily.

Box dimensions: 24 x 20 x 8 cm
Pawn dimensions: 6 x 2 cm; king: 9 x 2 cm

Well complete with its 32 pieces, none missing.