Exceptional 19th Century Italian Mother-of-Pearl Chess Set with original case and MOP board . Made with gold crowns for kings and queens, king 9.2cms, board 34 cms x 34 cm with 4 cms sqaures

Together with quality mahogany case having a fitted braided velvet interior, a MOP knob, keyhole and original key. The set also comes with a mahogany chess board with MOP squares and which stands on carved MOP claw feet. All the pieces stand on petal carved bases and knopped balusters and the kings and queens each have 4 graduated and intricately carved discs of upturned and inverted flowers.

The king with a delicate openwork gold crown finial and the queen with a gold head dress tiara embellished with tiny gold flowers. The bishops with 3 oval carved discs and topped by stylish Grecian helmets. Knights have boldly carved horses heads and rooks are churches with spire finials surmounted by gold crosses. Each chess piece is made from a significant number of turned and carved MOP pieces which were threaded together with an embedded pin. The set has a variety of translucent tonal colorings which give it a very attractive finish - care was obviously taken to pick out and use the best of the material available. May have been made on a commission basis from a top designer and master carver/turner.

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