Case Study: Chess
Optional!
Read/Watch/Listen
Spanos, Apostolos. Games of History: Games and Gaming as Historical Sources. Milton: Taylor and Francis, 2021. This book is available as an open access book (you can download it here; a pdf is posted on Teams, the publisher's "read online" option, no longer works and the pdf's to scroll through can't be annotated with hypothes.is.
chapter 2. "Material Approaches to Games"
Examine a decorated games box, dating from 1440-1470; made of bone, wood (beech), and iron fittings. Located at the Walters Art Gallery (Baltimore, MD) Accession no. 71.93.
Take a look at the following game pieces:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1831-1101-84 [The Lewis Chessman, as these are called, are among the most famous medieval game pieces, and demonstrate a style often copied in medieval-themed games. Note that antequated title of the objects as "chessmen" – even though they would be better described as a "Chess set" given the presence of the Queen piece...].
A medieval manuscript depicting two individuals playing chess (see bottom detail)
Read Schulte Michael (2017), “Board Games of the Vikings – From Hnefatafl to Chess”, Maal og minne (2): 1–42. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/268146544.pdf
You can compare medieval European chess sets to those produced in the Persian/Islamic context. These are from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. For other chess pieces in their collection, follow this link.
Abstract Shah chess piece, s. 13-14 (Egypt or Syria)
Abstract Rook chess piece, s. 8-10th (Al-Andalus?)
Figural chess piece, s. 11-12 (al-Andalus?): Image and text
Elephant chess piece, s. 17-18 (India): Image and Text
The Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau) also has a dedicated toy and game collection (largely focussed on Canadian examples). A small online exhibit can be consulted here:
Many institutions have game collections, but in Rochester (NY) there is the Strong Museum of Play, entirely devoted to the idea and is home to a game research library, archives and the International Centre for the History of Electronic Games. Check out its online exhibitions!
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