Collectors exchange (formerly Museum Shop)
Every now and then, the Museum will offer some chess sets or other chess items for sale - either because they are doublettes, or do not fit into the collection, or just because they are interesting designs. If You have any object You would like to offer for sale, the Museum will be glad to showcase Your treasure, in exchange for a 10 percent commission on the sale price.
very rare 1.edition Greco for sale !
FIRST EDITION IN FRENCH OF THE SEMINAL VADE MECUM OF CHESS
GRECO, Gioachino. LE IEV | DES | ESCHETS; | Traduit de l'Italien | de Gioachino Greco |
CALABROIS. | [Woodcut ornament] | A PARIS | Chez N. PEPINGVE', ruë de la Huchette, | au
bout de la petite Ruelle des trois | Chandeliers, deuant la ruë Zacharie. | Et en ſa Boutique au
premier pilier de la | grande Salle du Palais, vis à vis les | Conſultations, au Soleil d'or. |
[Rule] |
M. DC. LXIX. | Avec Privilege du Roy.
USD 2.900.-
Gioachino Greco, known as Il Calabrese, or The Calabrian, was considered by Soviet World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik to have been the first professional chess player. Born around 1600 in Celico near Cosenza, Greco was by age 19 considered one of Europe's strongest players. A pioneer of the Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4), and a bold attacker, Greco paved the way for Philidor and Morphy. He traveled to Paris and London at age 21 to play against those cities' chess luminaries, coming away with numerous victories, not to mention some 5000 scudi, a sizeable purse that was stolen from him when he was beset by highwaymen outside of London. Undeterred, Greco continued to travel, making it as far as the Americas to play chess, sometimes giving away, sometimes selling manuscripts of his games to admirers and wealthy patrons. After contracting an exotic illness at the age of 34 (some records say age 30), Greco died in the East Indies.
He left behind a manuscript of many of his games that found its way into the hands of the English publisher Henry Herringman and appeared on the market as The Royal Game of Chesse-Play in 1656; the translation of which, by one Francis Beale, is regarded as inaccurate. The present volume is the first French translation of that manuscript, and is considered far more precise. It opens with an epistle dedicatory to the Monseignor le Marquis de Louvois, Minister and Secretary of State, and is followed by an avertissement from the translator. Then begins the text proper, which are Greco's chess problems, in two books, the first comprising 39 problems, the second 55. The text concludes with an extrait du Privilege du Roy and a colophon:
Achevé d'imprimeur pour la pre | miere fois le 31 Decembre 1668.
An fine, unsophisticated copy of a work usually found in woeful condition. Uncommon in libraries; vanishingly rare in commerce. 12mo, 133 x 80 x 28 mm (binding), 129 x 76 x 24 mm (text block). ã6, e6, A-Z6, Aa-Ff6; [24], 343, [5] pp.
Condition: Bound in period catspaw calf, full-gilt back, citron label in second compartment tooled in gilt
reading IEU | DES | ECHETS, silk bookmark, minor wear to extremities. Interior: minimal staining
passim. A fine copy, complete with final blank Ff6 and all endpapers.
Provenance: Acquired by present owner from Joseph J. Felcone, Princeton, New Jersey.
Bibliographical mentions:
Bibliotheca Van der Linde-Niemeijeriana. A catalogue of the chess collection in the Royal Library. The Hague:
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, 1955, No 399.
Linde, Antonius van der. Das erste Jahrtausend der Schachlitteratur (850-1880) zusammengestellt. Berlin: J. Springer,
1881, No 985.
Leon, Joseph A. The games of Greco. London: George Routledge, 1900.
Gay, Jean. Bibliographie anecdotique du jeu des échecs. Paris: Chez Jules Gay, 1864. p. 102.
If You are interested in acquiring this work, please contact the chess Museum under
[email protected]
GRECO, Gioachino. LE IEV | DES | ESCHETS; | Traduit de l'Italien | de Gioachino Greco |
CALABROIS. | [Woodcut ornament] | A PARIS | Chez N. PEPINGVE', ruë de la Huchette, | au
bout de la petite Ruelle des trois | Chandeliers, deuant la ruë Zacharie. | Et en ſa Boutique au
premier pilier de la | grande Salle du Palais, vis à vis les | Conſultations, au Soleil d'or. |
[Rule] |
M. DC. LXIX. | Avec Privilege du Roy.
USD 2.900.-
Gioachino Greco, known as Il Calabrese, or The Calabrian, was considered by Soviet World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik to have been the first professional chess player. Born around 1600 in Celico near Cosenza, Greco was by age 19 considered one of Europe's strongest players. A pioneer of the Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4), and a bold attacker, Greco paved the way for Philidor and Morphy. He traveled to Paris and London at age 21 to play against those cities' chess luminaries, coming away with numerous victories, not to mention some 5000 scudi, a sizeable purse that was stolen from him when he was beset by highwaymen outside of London. Undeterred, Greco continued to travel, making it as far as the Americas to play chess, sometimes giving away, sometimes selling manuscripts of his games to admirers and wealthy patrons. After contracting an exotic illness at the age of 34 (some records say age 30), Greco died in the East Indies.
He left behind a manuscript of many of his games that found its way into the hands of the English publisher Henry Herringman and appeared on the market as The Royal Game of Chesse-Play in 1656; the translation of which, by one Francis Beale, is regarded as inaccurate. The present volume is the first French translation of that manuscript, and is considered far more precise. It opens with an epistle dedicatory to the Monseignor le Marquis de Louvois, Minister and Secretary of State, and is followed by an avertissement from the translator. Then begins the text proper, which are Greco's chess problems, in two books, the first comprising 39 problems, the second 55. The text concludes with an extrait du Privilege du Roy and a colophon:
Achevé d'imprimeur pour la pre | miere fois le 31 Decembre 1668.
An fine, unsophisticated copy of a work usually found in woeful condition. Uncommon in libraries; vanishingly rare in commerce. 12mo, 133 x 80 x 28 mm (binding), 129 x 76 x 24 mm (text block). ã6, e6, A-Z6, Aa-Ff6; [24], 343, [5] pp.
Condition: Bound in period catspaw calf, full-gilt back, citron label in second compartment tooled in gilt
reading IEU | DES | ECHETS, silk bookmark, minor wear to extremities. Interior: minimal staining
passim. A fine copy, complete with final blank Ff6 and all endpapers.
Provenance: Acquired by present owner from Joseph J. Felcone, Princeton, New Jersey.
Bibliographical mentions:
Bibliotheca Van der Linde-Niemeijeriana. A catalogue of the chess collection in the Royal Library. The Hague:
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, 1955, No 399.
Linde, Antonius van der. Das erste Jahrtausend der Schachlitteratur (850-1880) zusammengestellt. Berlin: J. Springer,
1881, No 985.
Leon, Joseph A. The games of Greco. London: George Routledge, 1900.
Gay, Jean. Bibliographie anecdotique du jeu des échecs. Paris: Chez Jules Gay, 1864. p. 102.
If You are interested in acquiring this work, please contact the chess Museum under
[email protected]
spirit of Geislingen....
A colourful modern evocation of a Geislingen set - probably fashioned in India between 1900 and 1960 ? - in animal bone - the black dots and typical canules of bone are well visible. The pieces are quite substantial, weighty, the material is clean white bone, one side tinted in bright red, kings stand 90 mm high. All the pieces are made from at least two sections, kings and queens are connected with metal screws , other pieces with bone threads. Pieces are quite tactile and a pleasure to handle and play - the white ones are very smooth, the red ones a bit porous, seems the bone material here was not as neat as for the other side.
The pieces are carved fairly simply, like the very early Geislingen sets, and the typical collars between stem and body are very prominent here. The Museum is offering these attractive chessmen for Euro 650.- - contact us for a postal quote at
[email protected]
The pieces are carved fairly simply, like the very early Geislingen sets, and the typical collars between stem and body are very prominent here. The Museum is offering these attractive chessmen for Euro 650.- - contact us for a postal quote at
[email protected]
Sold - Rare Chess Bibliography - Now sold!
Jean Gay, Bibliographie anecdotique du Jeu des Echecs, Paris 1864 (1.ed.)
Jean Gay was a professional bibliographer and book seller in mid-19th century Brussels - same as his father Jules - who edited most of his bibliographies in Paris. In toto, the bibliography of works edited by the Gays lists 82 editions !- a lot of them are what today would be called erotic or pornographic literature of their days, for example a novel by the Marquis de Sade (Aline et Valcour, Roman philosophique, Brussels 1883)! Strangely enough , some of the later ones are edited in Turin and San Remo - did the family migrate to the south for a decade, or is the publication in the south due to other reasons?
This rare bibliography contains lots of mentions of books not known elsewhere, tidbits of hearsay as well as factual info, and is extremely rare, possibly the first chess bibliography ever! This edition was only printed in 200 exemplars, the present is number 101. A facsimile was edited in reduced format in 1981 in Brussels, and the whole text has been scanned and is available on Google Books. If You want to read some sections , You can do so here.
Here is the description of the book for sale by the owner, a US antiquarian:
"GAY, Jean. BIBLIOGRAPHIE ANECDOTIQUE | DU | JEU DES ÉCHECS | PAR | JEAN
GAY | [Decorative rule] | PARIS | CHEZ JULES GAY, ÉDITEUR | QUAI DES
AUGUSTINS, 41 | [Rule] | 1864
$1400
Copy no. 101 of an edition of 260. FIRST EDITION1 of the first substantive international
bibliography of chess, a volume that lists not only the principle works of chess literature
from every major country of the world, but each nation or continent's leading chess clubs,
premier journals, célébrités de l'échiquier, and poetry, and concludes with a section on variétés,
where Gay discusses chess automata, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, echecophobes, chess in dance, gross chess personalities, gambits, chess in the visual arts, war, law, and mathematics,chess notation, and the origin of the game.
Though not a terribly rare book among institutions (OCLC counts 22 holding libraries), it is quite rare in commerce, with only two exemplars occurring at auction since modern record keeping began, the principal being the Robert Blass copy sold at Christie's on 8 May 1992 ($472). The present is a very good copy, uncut in original printed wraps.
12mo, 193 x 117 x 29 mm. [4], 299 pp. Yellow printed wraps. Backstrip lacking, sympathetically rebacked, some chipping to edges of covers, and some finger-soiling; deckle edges soiled. Interior: Minor staining to first few leaves, otherwise sound.
A widely available anastatic reprint was produced in 1981 (E. van Balberghe, Brussels)
Not in Betts."
If You are interested in this book, get into touch with the Museum clicking here - and we will put You into contact with the owner.
May 2017: the Gay bibliography has been sold - this mention will be taken off briefly.....
This rare bibliography contains lots of mentions of books not known elsewhere, tidbits of hearsay as well as factual info, and is extremely rare, possibly the first chess bibliography ever! This edition was only printed in 200 exemplars, the present is number 101. A facsimile was edited in reduced format in 1981 in Brussels, and the whole text has been scanned and is available on Google Books. If You want to read some sections , You can do so here.
Here is the description of the book for sale by the owner, a US antiquarian:
"GAY, Jean. BIBLIOGRAPHIE ANECDOTIQUE | DU | JEU DES ÉCHECS | PAR | JEAN
GAY | [Decorative rule] | PARIS | CHEZ JULES GAY, ÉDITEUR | QUAI DES
AUGUSTINS, 41 | [Rule] | 1864
$1400
Copy no. 101 of an edition of 260. FIRST EDITION1 of the first substantive international
bibliography of chess, a volume that lists not only the principle works of chess literature
from every major country of the world, but each nation or continent's leading chess clubs,
premier journals, célébrités de l'échiquier, and poetry, and concludes with a section on variétés,
where Gay discusses chess automata, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, echecophobes, chess in dance, gross chess personalities, gambits, chess in the visual arts, war, law, and mathematics,chess notation, and the origin of the game.
Though not a terribly rare book among institutions (OCLC counts 22 holding libraries), it is quite rare in commerce, with only two exemplars occurring at auction since modern record keeping began, the principal being the Robert Blass copy sold at Christie's on 8 May 1992 ($472). The present is a very good copy, uncut in original printed wraps.
12mo, 193 x 117 x 29 mm. [4], 299 pp. Yellow printed wraps. Backstrip lacking, sympathetically rebacked, some chipping to edges of covers, and some finger-soiling; deckle edges soiled. Interior: Minor staining to first few leaves, otherwise sound.
A widely available anastatic reprint was produced in 1981 (E. van Balberghe, Brussels)
Not in Betts."
If You are interested in this book, get into touch with the Museum clicking here - and we will put You into contact with the owner.
May 2017: the Gay bibliography has been sold - this mention will be taken off briefly.....
Amber chess set - sold !
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Amber is basically petrified resin from the prehistoric past, and occurs in deposits in various regions of the world. The major deposit is a huge vein under the Baltic sea, which surfaces in the Eastern part of Poland, in Lithuania and the Russian zone of Kaliningrad, the former Prussian Königsberg. The former open air mine in Kaliningrad has been closed down two years ago by the Russian authorities, for ecological and economic reasons.
Amber from this region is considered the best, and highly prized - and so are chess sets made from amber. Historic chess sets in natural - massive - amber command fortunes, today chess sets are generally fashioned in compressed amber, using smaller fragments, heated liquid amber, and mold compression. This set in pressed amber is a delight to see with oblique light shining through, and highlighting its dry amber inclusions. The design is simple, but effective, the kings stand 76 mm high, and squares measure 43 x 43 mm. The board is fashioned in a seed table pattern, with the various compartments being filled with amber fragments , and sealed smoothly in light yellow and reddish colours. The board is very heavy, which probably accounts for the slightly concave surface. 
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sparkling light effects...
mold line well visible
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Opulent Wood set
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Carved Chess Set
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The principal centre of chess piece carving and - turning in Spain has traditionally been the mountainous part of Catalonia, where first of all the quintessential boxwood is a local staple, and where a manifold wood-based home industry - has been around for centuries.
These colourful and hilarious chess pieces are the last remnants of a continuous output of chess pieces in this area, a fairly important part of the local turning produce of "fustes" (wood work)- small wooden objects for everyday use and decoration - which predominated in these rural areas during part of the 19th and 20th century. Most of these carved sets are in some way or another associated with the turning and carving shop of Emilio Torres. Torres, originally a maker of umbrella sticks!, ran a thriving family turning business for over 50 years, which supplied shops, chess turners, export houses like Escardibul and others. The typical triangular faces on his figurines are a telltale mark of Torres' technique of carving, using both lathe and handheld instruments. These chessmen were turned and carved in boxwood by hand, then handcoloured and felted. The turning shop where they were made has closed down long ago, these are rests of the production. Theses are very substantial pieces, kings stand 125 mm, and the are well accompanied by an extraordinary chess board , which was coloured via the old process of "marbling" , well known to appreciators of artistic books, and also much used for decorating fe church walls. 
Torres with cat making chess men
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Condition:
These sets are made in boxwood, in new and pristine condition, the colour lively and well applied. The pieces are housed in a roomy cassette, and the handpainted chess board is also as new.
The Museum has obtained a few of these sets from the administrators of the last chess manufactory in this area, which closed over 10 years ago! We are is offering this already very rare set in two versions - predominantly green or predominantly dark red - incl board and box for € 650.- plus postage. It is hard to imagine a more opulent and splendid present for the Years End!
Copyright Nicholas Lanier 2014
These sets are made in boxwood, in new and pristine condition, the colour lively and well applied. The pieces are housed in a roomy cassette, and the handpainted chess board is also as new.
The Museum has obtained a few of these sets from the administrators of the last chess manufactory in this area, which closed over 10 years ago! We are is offering this already very rare set in two versions - predominantly green or predominantly dark red - incl board and box for € 650.- plus postage. It is hard to imagine a more opulent and splendid present for the Years End!
Copyright Nicholas Lanier 2014
Postcards & merchandise
Marcel Duchamp against Eve Babitz - who has the edge?
A chess game in the Jardin Luxembourg (movie still)
Young Kasparov at Belfort 1988
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Backmanson, In the Café
Daniela Romano, Partita colla Maga
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3 of each postcard motive, in total 15 postcards, for € 4,50 plus postage in Europe - for overseas or other quantities, please check with us! " Kasparov at Belfort" is also available in poster form, in DIN A4 on glossy paper. Three posters in a cardboard tube for € 10.- plus postage in Europe - for overseas or other quantities , please check with us!
Chess Keychains
Keychains involving a wooden (or plastic) chess piece, ranging from € 2.- till € 3,50 apiece, depending on size ( yes, knights are the most sought, and not always available....) Usually old and partly chipped chesspieces are used, to give a period appearance.
various heights, woods, type of pieces....
