*SOLD* Vetus Ossae (Old Bones); German Uhlig-Style Bone Staunton Chess Set, c.1925-1935

Old Bones (Vetus Ossae); 32 vintage or antique medium-sized chess pieces with original wooden storage box (stamped); German, bovine bone, natural vs. stained red, restored (1 white bishop signifier, base pads, box liner), unweighted, c.1930.

Height: King 6.8cm, weight 16g, base diameter 2.6cm; Queen 6cm, wt. 15g, Bishop 4cm 6g, Knight 3.5cm 6g, Rook 2.8cm 7g, Pawns 3cm 5g.

W: ivory coloured felt pads B: cochineal red felt pads.

 

Maple wood storage box: 16cm x 10.6cm x 5cm (6 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 2 inches)

The storage box is in excellent vintage shape. The metal clasp hook and hinges work perfectly after slight adjustments. The lid carries the manufacturer’s stamp on the inside. The base has faint pencil manufacturer’s reference numbers and a small, ink stamped serial number. The shell carries a nice warm patina.

 

These elegant playing pieces came to me via a collector friend from Berlin some years ago and have been put to good use running through the classic games of the German chess masters of the Romantic Era over the last four years. One white bishop signifier either broke during transit or was an old repair that shook loose. Fortunately, the break was a clean one and has been firmly reattached using a small metal peg secured using a clear epoxy glue mixed with bone powder to ensure an invisible repair. Other than this the set is in excellent vintage condition. The original thin green felt pads had become worn and have been replaced with colours matching the pieces giving the illusion of a heftier base. The inside of the storage box has also been lined with the same red/ivory felt providing a soft bedding when stored.

 

The pieces were manufactured in Germany and are “Uhlig-inspired” as the knowledgeable collector and author, Holger Langer, remarked of an almost identical set pictured in his recent book, On the Collecting of Chess Sets (Rdiroma-Verlag, 2022, p.186, fig. 237). As mentioned, the stamp of the manufacturer of this set can be found on the inside of the lid, C. Blumhardt & Cie of Konigsbau, Stuttgart, a company that was established in 1850 and in 1864 became the official supplier of toys and games to the German royal court. The set appears to be based on one pictured in the K.P. Uhlig catalogue from the early 1900s (Langer, p.183).

 

Both queens carry the gold Power signature of the restorer/artist on their bases and are accompanied by our unique Certificate of Artistry for 2024.

 

Ref Code: OB24