Checkmate Collectibles by Linda Rosenkrantz on Creators.com

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Checkmate Collectibles

The game of chess, one of the oldest board games to have survived into the present, evolved as a reflection of medieval life. It probably developed in India more than a thousand years ago and represented a king and the four branches of the royal army: foot soldiers, cavalry, elephant-mounted troops (castles) and charioteers (bishops). In this early version of the game, players rolled one die to determine which piece would be moved. It was the Persians who later added a wise man figure that evolved into the modern queen.

The Arabs discovered chess when their armies conquered the Persian Empire in the seventh century, but since the Muslim religion prohibits making images of living things, they used abstract, faceless designs for their pieces, and this was the version that first moved into Spain, then the rest of Europe in the 16th century, eliminating the die. Variations appeared: In German examples, the bishop is a runner, and in Russia, the rook or castle became a boat. The expression "checkmate," by the way, derives from the Arabic phrase "al shah mat," meaning "the king is dead."

At times, chess pieces enter the realm of sculpture, and collecting them can take you into exalted realms. There have been sets designed by such artists as Alexander Calder, Salvador Dali, Marcel Duchamp (a chess fanatic), Max Ernst and Man Ray. They have been crafted of gold, silver, bronze and other precious metals, as well as marble, elephant and (now extinct) woolly mammoth ivory, bone, amber, onyx, lapis, coral, tortoiseshell, soapstone, marble, wood, art glass and fine porcelain by such firms as Wedgwood and Meissen.

What has become the standardized set for tournament play is a semi-abstract design known as the Staunton set, made by a London firm founded by J. Jaques, known for their fine craftsmanship. It was named for Howard Staunton, a noted English chess master, and was promoted with his signature on the label.

The simple but highly individuated forms eliminated some of the problems caused by more elaborate shapes on earlier sets. The black figures are made of ebony; the white of boxwood. These Staunton sets became enormously popular, to the point that the Jaques factory was producing 11 different-sized sets, five in ivory and six in woods. All of these are highly collectible. Their most distinguishing characteristic is the slash in the bishop's miter. Other means of identification: small crowns stamped on top of a rook and a knight of each color to mark them as king's side pieces, and some kings inscribed J. Jaques, London on the bottom.

But equally intriguing are the more ornaments sets — some of which were made primarily for display. There are, for example, beautifully carved and detailed 18th-century Chinese sets, which typically depict conflicts between the Chinese and Mongols or Caucasians; early 19th-century ivory "John" sets — John being the nickname of the British East India Company — pitting spear-wielding Indians against company troops armed with British guns; there are Egyptian, Medieval and Biblical themes, as well as cartoon and other pop culture figures.

Novelties also abound. One unusual type, made in 19th-century France out of bone, consisted of figures mounted on spikes to be set and anchored in the sand to accommodate players sur la plage . Boards can be made of almost any conceivable material, from tortoiseshell to painted animal hide to glass.

If you're interested in seeing some of the finest examples of antique chess sets extant, I recommend a visit to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and, on your next trip abroad, London's British and Victoria and Albert Museums, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Biblioteque National in Paris and the German National Museum in Munich.

Linda Rosenkrantz has edited Auction magazine and authored 18 books, most recently "Beyond Ava & Aidan: The Enlightened Guide to Naming your Baby" (St. Martin's Press). Visit her baby names website at http://nameberry.com. She cannot answer letters personally. To find out more about Linda Rosenkrantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.