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chessman

Object Name16 Chess Pieces

Maker Charles Lotton (American, 1935-2021)

Made FromNon-lead glass

Date1972

SizeH(Kings): 11 cm (ivory), 10.9 cm (blue); H(pawn): 4.5 cm (ivory, 5 cm (blue)

Accession Number72.4.195 B

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Nassau

Curatorial Area(s)

Postwar and Contemporary

Exhibitions

For Show, Not Play: Glass Chess Sets

Place Made

United States

Physical DescriptionOpaque black non-lead glass; manipulated, trailed, iridized. Set of 16 chess pieces, formed and manipulated of iridized purplish-black glass, made in simplified, rounded, cylindrical shapes, some with tooled and trailed decoration, as follows (some pieces have the remains of rough pontil marks, while others are ground flat on the bottom, removing all traces of the pontil scar): (1) King: true baluster shape with waisted top and bulbous base, with pointed, tooled, four-part top resembling crown, molded disk foot; polished flat underneath, signed (scratched) "Lotton [script] / #1 / 1972."; made of black glass, iridized purple and blue. (2) Queen: true baluster shape with waisted top and bulbous base; black glass with lighter trailed and manipulated feathered pattern, iridized purple and blue; pointed, tooled, four-part top resembling crown; molded disk foot; polished flat underneath, signed (scratched) "Lotton [script] / #1 / 1972". (3, 7) Bishops: true baluster shapes, with rounded, bulbous tops and sloping sides; single trailed loops crossing in front; molded disk feet; polished flat underneath, signed (scratched) "Lotton [script] / #1 / 1972". (4, 6) Knights: Egg-shaped, almost conical shapes with the larger sides down, each with a single trailed loop over the top; molded disk feet; polished flat underneath, signed (scratched) "Lotton [script] / #1 / 1972". (5, 8) Castles: conical shapes with four-part, impressed tops; molded disk feet; polished flat underneath, signed (scratched) "Lotton [script] / #1 / 1972". (9-16) Pawns: Inverted acorn shapes, with small, rounded tops, larger rounded sections below; molded disk feet; polished flat underneath, signed (scratched) "Lotton [script] / #1 / 1972".
Provenance

Provenance Remark

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