Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;2manybooks, post: 10780613, member: 8267&quot;]I think it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to establish that your piece came from a set belonging to Paul I of Russia, unless someone in your family has papers describing its history and how your family acquired it. Style alone would not be sufficient.</p><p><br /></p><p>The style of sets made in Kholmogory, with one side represented as classical Roman or Greek soldiers and the other as Turks, was produced throughout the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. According to the &quot;Lot Essay&quot; from a 19th century set sold at Christies -&quot;In 1670 Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov commissioned ten chess sets from Kholmogory ivory carvers, (see I.M.Linder <i>The Art of Chess Pieces</i>, 1994, page 78-79), and there after the demand among the aristocrats in Russia for the export of chess sets carved in walrus ivory continued to thrive throughout the 18th, 19th and into early 20th Centuries. The sets reflect both the Eastern and Western influences upon this school of carving, with the white side illustrated by Greek or Roman commanders opposing Eastern warriors. The bishop and rook represent the Russian names for those particular pieces, the elephant and ship.&quot;</p><p><a href="https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4893684" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4893684" rel="nofollow">https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4893684</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Below is another 19th century set sold at Christies. Based on this, your piece appears to be a pawn.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]534347[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]534348[/ATTACH]</p><p><a href="https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5322132" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5322132" rel="nofollow">https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5322132</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Based on your photograph of the base of your piece, it does appear to be made of walrus tusk, which was typical for the Kholmogory sets.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>When you have already done a lot of research, it is always helpful to provide us with links to some of your sources so that we can follow up.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in