dieppe-bust-chess-set-early-19th-century
January 24, 2018
See Schach Partie Durch Zeiten und Welten, Edition Braus, Hamburg, 2005, pp 151-153 for similar chess sets. One side represents French forces, with pawns as Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard, the opposing forces represent Senegal- a French colony since 1677. In chess, white has the first move, so European forces tend to be represented by the white side. Dieppe, the port town in Northern France, was known for the skill of its ivory carvers, and enjoyed a flourishing trade- ideally placed for export to the rest of the world.