Minima Regales (Essence Of Regence), 32 lightly-weighted chessmen without board, wood/metal, white v. red, German, circa 1945 – 1955.
Height: King 8.5cm, weight 20g, base width 2.8cm, Queen 7.2cm, Bishop 6.3cm, Knight 6cm, Rook 5.2cm, Pawn 4cm (weight 4g). W: black felt bases B: same
This quaint little playing set is turned in the Regence style normally associated with France and the famous Cafe de la Regence of pre-Revolution Paris. It is a small set, especially the pawns – “the soul of chess” – but nevertheless, still quite stylish, fitting nicely onto a board with a 1” square size as photographed. The Kings have a ball finial added and the Bishops have a slight lean due to an added intricate stem (adding more height?) and their age. Overall, they are quite pleasant to play with and perfect for revisiting/analyzing old games of the past – especially those of the legendary French master and composer, Andre Philidor, quoted above.
The set is finished in high-gloss dammar varnish.
The pieces are UV resistant and ideal for display, as well as casual play.
Both Kings carry the hand-painted signature of the artist on their felt bases.
Ref code MR5

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