Lot #987.Mammoth Ivory 1849 Staunton Chess Set Antique Reproduction

Description Mammoth Ivory 1849 Staunton Chess Set. Offered here is an heirloom quality reproduction of an original 1849 Staunton Chessmen in Mammoth ivory Chess Set. These antique reproduction chess pieces are Crafted from 20,000-year-old natural and red-stained Woolly Mammoth tusk. These magnificent luxury chessmen capture the exquisite design of the original Staunton pattern Chessmen registered by Nathaniel Cooke and produced exclusively by Jaques of London in 1849.  This full Club-size Chess set features a statuesque 4-3/8″ King with a 2=0″ diameter base. The chess pieces do not contain any artificial ballast since Mammoth tusk is a naturally dense material that does not require additional weighting. The Chess pieces are hand carved by crafted by talented sculptors from Russia. This set includes an extra set of Queens to aid in pawn promotion, an innovation pioneered by us in 1995. All 34 Chess pieces are crafted from the highest grade of Mammoth tusk. The dark army has been stained matte red, as was the praxis for ivory and bone chess pieces in the 18th and19th centuries. The antique reproduction Mammoth Ivory 1849 Staunton Chessmen do not have base pads but rather are left uncovered as has been the praxis for ivory and bone chessmen throughout the centuries. The pieces were made around 2018 and are as new. These magnificent heirloom quality chess pieces play and display best on a chessboard with 2-1/2″ squares. The ebony and Birdseye Maple chessboard shown in the accompanying images are not included. This chess set comes complete with the antique reproduction Carton-Pierre box and Carton-Pierre chessboard shown. History Of The Chess Pieces. The Mammoth tusk is excavated from the permafrost of the Siberian tundra, which the woolly mammoth inhabited for more than 160,000 years. During the last ice age, the mammoth went extinct as the direct result of rapidly plummeting temperatures. The dry, cold environment of Siberia combined with the massive sheets of ice from the ice age created the ideal environment for the preservation of Mammoth byproducts. The woolly Mammoths have been entombed under the Siberian permafrost ever since, waiting to be unearthed. For more than 2,000 years, Mammoth Tusk has been traded, and it remains a highly prized commodity across the world. While the demand for the Mammoth byproducts has always been higher than its supply, it began its steep rise when the international ivory ban was enacted. This agreement banned all sales of new Elephant or Walrus Ivory, in an effort to protect the animals from extinction. As a result, Mammoth tusks became the only type of animal-based ivory that is exempt from the international trade restrictions. Over the past few years, the price of Mammoth tusks has more than tripled, due largely to the unprecedented demand for luxury goods from such emerging countries as India and China. This trend is expected to continue. Less than one percent of the Mammoth tusks harvested is of suitable quality for the manufacturing of chess pieces, thus adding the production costs and long-term value. The Antique Reproduction Mammoth Ivory 1849 Staunton Chess Set exemplifies the perfect combination of size, distinct beauty and collectability. The design, accuracy, quality and craftsmanship of this offering is UNMATCHED by any set of Chessmen at any price.