Rare Indian chess piece - Lot 166

Lot 166
Go to lot
Estimation :
3000 - 4000 EUR
Register for the sale on drouot.com
Rare Indian chess piece - Lot 166
Rare Indian chess piece Ivory (elephas maximus) India, 15th-16th century H. Height : 8 cm Gross weight: 135.3 g. This intriguing sculpture is a game piece, most probably a chess piece. It features two open-mouthed lions with large fangs, standing head to toe on a thick oval base adorned with beaded registers. Their front paws rest on a hare, while their tails rise from their sides. Their eyes and eyebrows are deeply engraved. They wear a beaded collar on their mane. Two holes at the top of their heads were for ears, probably made of a different material. material. The Musée du Louvre holds a similar piece from the 15th century (OA 5542). This piece comes from a luxurious game, as evidenced by its size and the quality of the carving (more detailed than the one in the Louvre). Chess seems to have originated in India around the 6th century (or, according to some sources, even before the the beginning of our era). It then spread widely, developing different variants in different regions. regions. Its name derives from the Persian word for "king", shah. Later adopted by the Arabs in medieval times the word sheikh replaced shah, giving them the name we know today. An interpretation of the origin of the name chess is linked to the names shantranji (Persian) or shantur anga (derived from Sanskrit), referring to the four corps of the Indian armies. From India to Iran, the game spread to the West from Muslim Spain in the 13th century, before finding its current form in the 16th century. (Wear) CIC n°FR2603000007-K issued by DREAL Occitanie on 17/02/26.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue