Three 'King' chess pieces, Persia and Near East, 9th-12th century

the tall ivory chess piece with hollow centre, the alabaster piece of stylised form with eight drill holes and old collection label to underside, the small ivory chess piece with characteristic carved edge

Ex-Collection Lothar Schmid (1928-2013)

The tall ivory chess piece with hollow centre, hairline cracks, some minor abrasion and discoloration; the alabaster piece with some abrasion to external edges, discoloration, and encrustation; the small ivory piece with hairline cracks, discoloration and some encrustation, as viewed.
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A similar ivory king chess piece, of tall form with a small stylised ‘tower’ section, attributed to Nishapur, ninth-twelfth century, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York inv. No.40.170.151. At the time that the museum acquired these pieces in 1940, they formed part of an excavation that had been found in Nishapur, and which included alabaster pieces.