Gaming pieces from R. de Wilde Collection (1929-2019) coming up to auction

Upcoming auction - MASTERS Arts d'Orient & de l'Inde

June, 20th, 3pm - all lots on millon.com

MILLON Maison de ventes aux enchères

"Men and women, young and old, play. This is as true for the most modest populations as it is for the wealthiest. However, the raw materials used and the ornamentation of the pieces give information about the rank of the owners of the game". So begins Robert de Wilde when he writes "Poids, balances et pions des civilisations anciennes", published in 2017. Amazed by the ingenuity, originality and quest for beauty that mark the design of weights, game pieces and dice, Robert de Wilde (1929-2019) began a collection in the 1970’s. The selection presented in auction, June, 20th comes mainly from his collection.

Although the evidence is unclear, it appears that the game of chess has Indian origins dating back to the 6th century, deriving from "chaupar", a dice game. A strategic war game, it was once played by four players using dice, with the queen represented by a vizier, the bishop by an elephant, the rook by a chariot, with four pawns of each per player.

From the middle of the 7th century onwards, chess circulated rapidly from Persia to the West, and greatly appealed to the elite. Among the first caliphs were fervent players, such as Harun al-Rashid (d. 809).

As the game spreads, it is not always well received. Al-Hakim, the Fatimid ruler of Egypt, banned it in 1005 and ordered that all chess sets be burnt. As a result, few ancient chess pieces have survived. The earliest chess pieces identified have been discovered during excavations in Afrasiyab (ancient Samarqand) dating from the late 7th or early 8th century. A century later, the shape becomes simpler. It has often been argued that this development was the result of a religious ban. More probably, the abstraction of the shapes followed the extremely rapid development of the game, and made it possible to answer to a growing demand.

Through different traditions and populations, the game evolved. In the last years of the 15th century, Isabella the Catholic decided to transform the queen, who until then had played a minor role, into a "raging queen". She could now cross the board straight or diagonally, and became the strongest piece.

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