Bird Nest

An 18th-century ivory set from England. This small-cupped pattern is often called "Bird Nest" and looks like an English variation of Continental Selenus design.

The Knight head is pretty well worked for it's small size. It seems to have similarities with carvings of some French Knights from the same period.

Ivory pieces from an Indian set

Superior pieces from an ivory part set. Most probably of Indian manufacture from around 1820. The Queens are 9 cm tall. Unfortunately neither of the Kings have survived.

All pieces are monobloc, including Rooks with round bases and rectangular bodies. Turning holes can be seen in the both ends of pieces.

A similar set can be seen on the page of House of Staunton:
full set and a close view of some pieces.

Another such set was auctioned as a part of the Ettore Chiesa Collection at Christie's. See lot #90 in the catalogue.

Both these are of smaller size than my pieces.

English set from around 1750

English set from the middle of the 18th century.
White pieces in ivory, Red pieces in bone.

Two Chinese pieces

A sitting Chinese Queen and a Pawn from different sets. Both pieces are made of ivory and finely carved.

It is unclear wether or not the sitting Chinese Queens and Kings are chess pieces. Mackett-Beeson tells us that they are but they are usually sold as single pieces. Micheal Mark has seen only one chess set with sitting Chinese Queens, Kings and Bishops in more than 30 years.

I love the Pawn. It must come from a very fine set. 99.9% of Chinese pawns out there are very rude compared to this one.

The pawn again

A miserably low-end pawn for comparison. Fortunately not from my collection.

Washington pattern set

A similar set was used by George Washinton in Mount Vernon. It was a common pattern in 18th century. Characteristics of the original set include urn-like stems, conical middle section of Kings and Queens with rings, brickworked and monoblock Rooks, arched Knights with flat foreheads and short mithras of Bishops.

This set has stepped rooks and is made of ivory while the original set is made of bone. The upper part of white King has been restored.

It dates to the 2nd part of 18th century.

Update Sept. 6 2009: chess pieces of similar design where salvaged from the wreck of "Halsewell" sunken in 1786 , now in Dorset County Museum: