Chessmen (31)
Although both sides were left the natural color, they are distinguishable by the form of the pieces. On the "good" side, the elephant (bishop) and horse (knight) have monkey riders, whereas on the "evil" side they are without. The "good" king is a protective spirit, and the "evil" one a demon. The black pawns are also demons, and the white pawns are monkeys. The rooks are chariots. Monkeys are used on the "good" side because in the Far East they were thought to have the power to drive away or prevent the evil influences of wicked spirits.
Artwork Details
- Title: Chessmen (31)
- Date: 18th–19th century
- Culture: Burmese
- Medium: Ivory
- Dimensions: Height (each rook): 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm);
Height (each pawn): 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) - Classification: Chess Sets
- Credit Line: Gift of Gustavus A. Pfeiffer, 1948
- Object Number: 48.174.109a–d, f–p, aa–pp
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Indian
late 18th–early 19th century
Burmese
19th century
Burmese
20th century
Burmese
19th century
Indian, Gujarat
late 16th century
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.