MASTERWORKS: RARE AND BEAUTIFUL CHESS SETS OF THE WORLD

Dylan Loeb McClain, Jon Crumiller, George Dean, Larry List, Will Wiles

ISBN 10: 0993191169 / ISBN 13: 9780993191169

Published by Fuel, London, 2016

About this Item

MASTERWORKS: RARE AND BEAUTIFUL CHESS SETS OF THE WORLD, published on the occasion of the World Chess Championship in New York. Texts in English by Dylan Loeb McClain, Jon Crumiller, George Dean, Larry List, Will Wiles. 232 pages, profusely illustrated in color. Hardcover, no dustjacket.Some rubbing to ccover edges. Inside in Fine condition. Foreign shipping will require extra postage.

Seller Inventory # 3796

Bibliographic Details

• Title: MASTERWORKS: RARE AND BEAUTIFUL CHESS SETS OF THE WORLD
• Publisher: Fuel, London
• Publication Date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0993191169
• ISBN 13: 9780993191169
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Good +
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art & Design

About this title

Synopsis

The world's most gorgeous and unusual chess sets, spanning hundreds of years and five continents

Chess, one of the world’s most popular games, has inspired artists for hundreds of years. Though apparently offering a limited canvas―each set has 32 pieces, each board 64 squares―sets have nevertheless been designed in countless ways, using almost every imaginable material, from precious metals, to ivory and rock crystal. They have taken many forms, from figural to abstract, and used many diverse themes, from the historical and political to the beauty and variety of the animal kingdom.

This book brings together some of the most beautiful and unusual chess sets ever made. Spanning hundreds of years and five continents, they are culled from private collections and museums, and include 200 year-old sets made by nameless Indian craftsmen, sets by Peter Carl Fabergé, sets from Soviet gulag prisoners, and sets by leading artists of the 20th century, such as Max Ernst.

Each set has been specially photographed for this book, with detailed insights provided by an exceptional group of experts: Dr. George Dean, Jon Crumiller, Larry List and Will Wiles (Dezeen), with an introduction by the book’s editor, Dylan Loeb McClain, former New York Times chess columnist.

Review

Masterworks: Rare and Beautiful Chess Sets of the World...features exquisitely crafted games originating in a wide variety of countries, cultures, and eras. (Collectors Weekly)

Showcases striking boards and pieces from the past five centuries. (Alexandra Wolf Wall Street Journal)

Delves into the wider, richer world of chess set design – one informed by politics, social upheaval, folklore, contemporary movements in art and design and more. Edited by former New York Times chess columnist Dylan McClain and designed and published by Fuel, Master Works: Rare and Beautiful Chess Sets of the World runs a startlingly broad gamut. (Tom Howells Wallpaper)