Understanding Chess Sets in the

Context of Art and Society.

Chess sets are for most people just something to play chess with.
What then is the use of sets with strange and unusual shapes?
Why do some people collect these sets?
What do they do with them? And why?
These and similar questions can only e answered if the artistic and!or
social context of the sets in question is understood.
This "# century chess piece calls across the years to our souls$ we can all
imagine the ancient car%er using his quite crude tools to ma&e the set
from which this came.
The artist in question will proaly ne%er e &nown$ ut we can
appreciate it's artistry$ without eing told it's age.
(owe%er more modern sets can also e collectale$ and as most of us will ne%er see a
set$ or e%en a single piece li&e the one ao%e outside of a museum$ perhaps we should
set our sights on sets which are still desirale as art ojects ut can e found and more
importantly afforded y all.
This metal set elow$ from the ")*#s is a mass produced thing and most people at first
glance would dismiss it without a second glance.
(owe%er once you are told that it is one of a %ery few chess set designs y a woman$
+ildred ,ose$ and it was made in two si-es and pac&aged in three different oxes$ and
was intended to ta&e up some of the 'slac&' in the metal foundries after the second world
war$ it suddenly ta&es on a little more interest.
A set of this model in this condition can e ought in a oot fare for ."#/.0#.
1ater you may come across one of the %ery few which has escaped eing played with
and is still in it's original pac&aging and condition.
2t will cost you more $ ut y that time you will e hoo&ed.
The next set is also from a female hand$ ut to find a genuine example$ 3they are much
copied4 would e a coup of some magnitude5
The 6an&o sisters$ 7atalia and 8elena$ wor&ed in the 1omonoso% porcelain factory up to
the siege of 1eningrad in ")90 where they oth died of star%ation.
These sets are much sought after y chess set collectors$ ceramics collectors and
,ussian historians. Consequently their prices$ on the odd occasion they surface$ are well
eyond the reach of the general collector.
0#th Century 'Art Sets'
There are howe%er many other 0#th century artists sets to consider$ and
the artistic circumstances surrounding their manufacture is what for the
most part ma&es them interesting to collectors.
This set$ made from a discarded old room handle and employing old screws of %arious
sorts and its of metal is on the face of it perhaps rather unremar&ale.
(owe%er a closer loo& at the amusing use of the fixings in the &ing and queen$ reflecting
as they do the male and female symols in common use and the rather cle%er way the
&night and ishop ha%e een formed alerts us to the artistic nature of the set and we can
explore further the circumstances surrounding it's manufacture.
2t was made y Alexander Calder in ")90 o%er a wee&end in 7ew :ersey$ and is %ery
e%ocati%e of the 6adaist mo%ement$ which tries to get us to loo& at common e%eryday
ojects as art.
Again it is not a set we would expect to find in a oot sale$ ut other sets made from
common ojects do occasionally turn up in the most unexpected places and these sets$
sometimes are worth ha%ing e%en without any clue as to context.
This set elow made from nuts and olts has a certain pull.
1ots of engineering firms o%er the years ha%e made sets to gi%e away at fairs and special
occasions$ and as a consequence can e considered as part of our industrial history$
equally as important in their own way as a
6amian (urst or similar.
These pieces are y +r (urst and say more aout his osession with chemists shops and
the li&e than they do aout chess$ 2 would prefer the nuts5
Another 0#c artist of some renown who came a cropper due to her lac& of understanding
of chess players and chess in general was 8o&o ;no$ who produced this white chess set
elow in ")<<.
=ntitled$ '>lay it y trust'. The idea she intended was that it demonstrated the possiility
of peace ecause $ 3in her opinion4 players would loose trac& of which pieces elong to
whom.
Any competent player can play without access to pieces e they white lac& or s&y lue
pin& so 2'm afraid this is another of our modern artists who needs to thin& through more
carefully what they thin& their wor&s are saying.
7ote also$ that +s ;no chooses a poor quality ")<#s mass produced chess set to re
spray as her representati%e set. 7ow this would e fine if$ the 'art' wor& actually had
something %alid to say$ aout art or chess or in fact anything.

The set elow falls into a type of set not commonly found$ called ;jet Trou%e$ or found
ojects set$ and a lot of fun can e had ma&ing sets of this type.
?each stones with or without symols painted on are a popular choice$ ut many other
ojects are out there waiting to e employed.
Why not ha%e a collection which includes something designed and made y you alone?
A set from the Wichmann Collection.
7ot all of us are capale of ma&ing such a set$ ut in%ol%ement in our passion means we
will if we try $ at least gain some insight into the necessary s&ills in%ol%ed with ma&ing
something eautiful$ or at least something with soul.
2f and when you decide to try your hand at chess set ma&ing$ you should try something
which is within the realm of the possile$ something li&e this@
7ow$ 2'm proaly just aout in the top "# of fancy chess set ma&ers in the world$ and
e%en 2 would hesitate to attempt such a set. So lets &eep it real and just do what can e
done and lea%e the ."#$###A sets to the rich collectors.
They ha%e enough prolems attling against each other for the sets they want.
?y Alan 6ewey. 3chessspy4 c.0##B