Chess Pieces
The major chess pieces or chess men are, these days, the King and Queen, Bishop, Knight and Rook (or Castle). The foot-soldiers, or pawns, are the minor pieces. Within these basic descriptions lie a virtually limitless myriad of design.
Chronologically the earliest designs were carved, starting with the Islamic geometric carvings and then in Christian Europe figurative chess pieces were introduced following Viking influence. The Isle of Lewis Chess Set has pieces that amply demonstrate this concept, and also for the first time the idea of a King and Queen. The only difference between the Isle of Lewis chess pieces and modern pieces are the lack of a castle or rook, instead a Viking warrior or Berserker and the use of boundary stones instead of pawns.
The Lewis chess set is an ever present in the Hoyle’s chess presentation. A later Medieval set, the Leipzig, is also in our Historical Portfolio with the boundary stones replaced by drums.
In the Renaissance with tactical changes to the game more formalised design became necessary and with changes in technology meaning that bone could be treated to make it amenable to turning a more stylised chess piece came into being. The earliest known English painting of a family playing chess shows a set from the 16th century remarkably similar to the Calvet turned chess pieces of the late 18th century. Our Calvet set in laquered red and ivory is a wonderful example of the turner’s art and the slightly later Regency style set, also in laquered red and white replaces the rings and ogee bases with urns and knops.
The 1841 Staunton chess pieces are really a further development of this with figurative horses and representations of an actual castle tower or turret coming into the design. All of the above types of chess pieces are available through Hoyle’s at all times. |
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