Chess set

Title
Chess set
Year/Period
18th or 19th century
Region
India
Object Type
Dimension
Object size: Refer to parts
Accession No.
2015-00642

This is a “John Company” chess set made of ivory. The British East India Company’s battles with local Indian rulers provided the most popular theme for chess sets produced in India, which showed the Indians fighting the British. These were also known as “John Company” sets as “John” was a colloquial name for the British East India Company. The colonial rule of South and Southeast Asia by the Europeans spurred the production of elaborately and intricately carved chess sets for export. These sets were commonly made for display or commemoration rather than actual use.