Reproduction and Real Jaques of London Chess Set

Thank you for a good laugh. I needed one. Yeah I  know what you mean. Ever thought aboubt a different account so the "Idiot" can't follow you around?

^^^ The idiot appears not just on eBay, but also when I bid on live auctions - must be some sort of supernatural being rather than a person.

Matt, you could try sniping at >10 seconds

 Then I know just what you need: An EXORCISM!!! LOL

Alan - I don't use sniping software but I do just bid once, in the final few seconds.

Mr Bobcat - I'm not getting an exorcism - I've seen the movie and I don't have the neck flexibility to spin my head around like that.

I've now had a reply from the seller of the Jaques look-a-like set - the weight does not have any Jaques indentations
 

Hi Matt,

I have seen Jaques weights without the marks but I think if none of them have it then it is not Jaques.

IMHO

Agreed.

Alan, how were the crown stamps made on the K-side Rooks and Knights?

Hi Matt,

I make them by carving the reverse (raised) image onto the polished end of 1/4" brass rod. They seem to last for many uses. (I only make one when I have lost the last one. I haven't used one up yet. Although I only stamp on very rare occasions.)

I expect the crown could be bought from Tandy or a book makers leather stamp maker.

Once you have the stamp, how do you press it on to the piece?

The Jaques look-a-like set sold for £395, more than my bid of £333. Two bidders bid more than me.

This BTW as an aside (and fairly relevant to this thread), except that fake chess sets have been around for a long time, and at least, Matt, you didn't get taken for a small fortune as G.W. Vanderbilt surely did when he bought this fake (wrongly attributed that is) set for his newly built French style chateau here in N.C.

During his captivity at St Helena Napoleon received from the Governor of the Indies, Sir John Elphinstone, a superb chessboard made by the best Chinese workmen. Napoleon had been generous to an English officer named Elphinstone, and when the captain’s brother, Sir John Elphinstone, learned that Napoleon’s sole pastime at St Helena was chess he had the set made. The letter N, surmounted by the Imperial Crown, was engraved on each piece. It was decided by Hudson Lowe that the chess set would be given to Napoleon only if he agreed to have the N and the imperial crown effaced. On learning this, Napoleon shrugged his shoulders and said to Marshal Bertrand: ‘Is the despatch of this chessboard an affair of state? Does this man fear that I shall give check to all the kings of Europe? Poor man.’ Napoleon was more impressed by the generous gesture than by the cumbersome chess set itself. The rook sat on an enormous elephant, and Napoleon said jokingly, ‘I should need a crane to move this rook. I shall send the basket to Marie-Louise, the box of counters to my mother and the chess pieces to my son’. (Le Palamède, 1839, pages 14-22) 

Hammer

What did he pay? Is the real set's whereabouts known?

Hi Matt,

I have no idea what G.W.V. paid for the set but he would have paid a considerable premium, if my experience of shopping for antique sets in Paris for 20 years or so (I used to pop across on (first the ferry and then) the train about every 5 or 6 weeks, both for buying, selling and restoring) is anything to go by.

I have no idea of where the 'real' set is except what was printed in le Palamide about it going to Boney's son. So one assumes it is still in the family if there are descendants still alive.

One of the dealers in the Louvre des Antiquares would buy sets from me and also get items restored, (not just sets). I once sold her 10 sets of various types, one of which was a miniature Indian playing set , for which she paid E110 as I recall. Anyway, we traded back and forth over the next couple of years and this set was still in the window unsold over this time. I commented in surprise that it had not sold as it was a nice desirable set. As I was talking I picked up the WK which was where Mme Mouna marked the price. It said E1100. 

I also saw in another shop in the same arcade (Des Antiquares had previously been an upmarket department store and so was a large place with many dealers) a Jaques badged chess clock. Unfortunately the dealer was out for lunch, (which in Paris can mean several hours) I could just about see the price tag which I thought said E140 which meant it was just on the cusp of being buy-able for a turn round in Portobello on my return to England. I waited a couple of hours and eventually he turned up and re-opened the shop. I went in and after the usual greetings went to look at the clock. The price was E1400. so, exit me disappointed.

Such are the prices in Paris.

^^^^ Looks like someone has a tin of polyurethane varnish. It is problematic to remove without ruining the underlying patina

Hello me ole matey, hows life treating you?   

I am well, thank you

I could be wrong, but based on the photos, it looks like the 1849s ChessBazaar is selling right now are a redesigned model:

https://www.chessbazaar.com/reproduced-1849-original-staunton-pattern-chess-set-in-ebony-box-wood-4-5-king.html

It seems to me that this is closer to the 1849 originals than ChessBazaar's previous efforts. But unfortunately, it looks like they have started stamping ChessBazaar branding on the base of the kings. Yes, I know, this was common back in the 19th century, but it still looks cheap and tacky to my eyes. When I spend that amount of money on a set of chess pieces, I think I deserve to get them without any visible branding.

I quite like the branding on the Kings, it shows that it's a ChessBazaar set and not pretending to be something it's not. But that's just my opinion.

Matt, you make a good point.  Since Jaques is not doing anything with its brand, Chessbazaar et al., are vying for international name recognition in the club level world of chess.  In the future, collectors may argue "Is that a genuine Chessbazaar?"  There are just so many antique Jaques sets in existence--no one brings their antique Jaques to play at the club.  Reproductions of the classic style are where it's at.