Chessmen (32)
ca. 1830
Medium
Metal
Dimensions
Height (each king): 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm); Height (each pawn): 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm)
Classification
Chess Sets
Culture
German, Hanau
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Gustavus A. Pfeiffer, 1948
Accession Number
48.174.83a–p, aa–pp
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 19th-century German craftsmanship with this exquisite set of 32 chess, crafted around 1830 by the E. G. Zimmerman Company inau, a renowned hub for fine metalwork and jewelry. Produced in metal, these petite pieces—kings standing at 3½ inches (8.9 cm) andns at 1¾ inches (4.4 cm)—exemplify the precision and elegance of European decorative arts.au's artisans were celebrated for their skill in casting and finishing metals, often creating functional objects like these that doubled as luxurious table ornaments. Chess sets like these were more than games; they reflected the in...