Elephant chess piece

Elephant chess piece

India, 18th century

Small ivory elephant (chatrang) surmounted by a crenellated rectangular palanquin, decorated with small holes arranged horizontally. A pearl necklace adorns the neck and surrounds the rump. A small hole and slot on the right front foot and a small hole under the left rear foot fixed the animal to a base that no longer exists. 5 x 5 cm. 52 gr. This massive piece was carved from a thick, precious part of the tusk, indicating the high rank of the person for whom it was made. A carbon-14 analysis, carried out by the Ciram laboratory on February 27, 2020, indicates a most probable dating between 1647 and 1682 (32%), 1762 and 1803 (43%). Provenance : Former Jacques A. collection, deceased in St Cloud in 1978. Related work: Chess Piece, 18th century or earlier (possibly). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc, 86.227.46. Developed in India around 500 AD, chess was quickly adopted in Persia and the Arab world, and then in Europe. This spread of chess reflects the flow of cultural and intellectual exchanges between East and West from pre-Islamic times onwards. A carved ivory chess piece in elephant shape, India, 18th century