Unusual French Régence Chess Set, ca. 1820

Unusual French Régence Chess Set, ca. 1820

An antique chess set made in a very unusual and unique style. The bishops and rooks resemble the "Régence" pattern. However, instead of the usual "Tulip" crown, the kings come with Biedermeier like ball finials on top of a crown shaped gallery, which to me almost seems to be a less pronounced version of the "crows nest" often seen in the 18th and early 19th century Selenus-sets. The queens similar in shape, but smaller. The Knights in this set are also extremely interesting and unusual and add a lot of specific character to the set. They are shown as horses' heads with long and slim necks, bent almost in a way as if the horse was rearing. It might even remind a little bit of Irish type knights. I searched auction catalogues, checked the internet and liaised with other collectors, but could not find any reference to a set like this. The origin could be anywhere in Europe, but since the game, in my personal opinion, has the greatest similarities with the Régence pattern, I would locate it in France and date it to the early 19th century. King size is 91 mm (3.6").
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