Chessmen (32)
The principal pieces are similar on each side, with poets carrying scrolls for bishops. The knights are horses that emerge at the haunches with forelegs raised in a prancing attitude. The castles seem disproportionately large to the rest of the major pieces. Pawns are peasant girls on the silver side and young men on the gold side. The bases are marked "13-1783," the Viennese silver warranty mark for 1783. The mark applies to the bases only; the figural parts are of the nineteenth century.
Artwork Details
- Title: Chessmen (32)
- Date: ca. 1850–60 and 1783
- Culture: Austrian, Vienna
- Medium: Silver, silver gilt
- Dimensions: Height (each king): 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm);
Height (height pawn): 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm) - Classification: Chess Sets
- Credit Line: Gift of Gustavus A. Pfeiffer, 1948
- Object Number: 48.174.136a–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.
Gerhard Emmoser (German, active 1556–84)
1579
ca. 1765–72, with later additions
Stammer & Breul (active mid-19th century)
1855
1787
Vienna
ca. 1730
Related Content
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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.