Ivory Handcrafted

Chess Set

Antique early 1900’s

• Superior carving and craftsmanship
• Condition never played and like new
• Board 18” x 18”
• King 2.5”W x 5”H

The chess set was a gift from the ruler of Rajasthan state in India in early 1900’s (predating India's independence of 1946) to the Loghman-Adham family the foreign honorary physician to the court.

To distinguish one player from another, there is a black line circling at the bottom of each piece which does not appear in the other player pieces.

There is also one piece from each player’s pawn that is cut in half. This is deliberate as to show that each half makes a full pawn denoting that the players are not enemies but from the same family.

The game of chess was invented in ancient India and was called “Chaturanga” in Sanskrit. See depiction below from the Puranas the ancient Sanskrit text where Krishna and his consort Rhada are playing Chaturanga. The game was then taken to Persia in 3rd century AD and renamed Chatranj and then to Europe during the Crusades.