Chess Piece thumbnail 1
Chess Piece thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Jewellery, Rooms 91 to 93 mezzanine, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery

Chess Piece

1897 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This rook (chess piece) was made to commemorate a chess match played in 1897 between the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. and the House of Commons in London using a transatlantic cable. A section of cable is mounted within the rook.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
cable mounted in gilded metal
Brief description
Rook chess piece embedded with a piece of cable, gilt metal and steel, Carlo and Arthur Guiliano, England, dated 1897
Physical description
Section of telegraph cable, mounted in gilded metal, with inscription recording a chess match played over transatlantic lines between the House of Commons, London, and the House of Representatives, Washington DC
Dimensions
  • Height: 76mm
  • Of base diameter: 49mm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Mark of Arthur and Carlo Giuliano on base
  • 'CHESS MATCH BY CABLE / BETWEEN / HOUSE OF COMMONS, LONDON / AND / HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON / PLAYED OVER THE LINES OF THE / ANGLO-AMERICAN TELEGRAPH C0., LONDON / AND / WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH CO., NEW YORK / 1897 / CONTRACTORS / THE TELEGRAPH CONSTRUCTION AND / MAINTENANCE CO., LONDON' (Engraved on the walls of the rook.)
Credit line
Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of Judith H. Siegel
Object history
This rook (chess piece) commemorates a chess match played by the House of Representatives, Washington DC, and the House of Commons, London, using a transatlantic cable in 1897.
Subject depicted
Summary
This rook (chess piece) was made to commemorate a chess match played in 1897 between the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. and the House of Commons in London using a transatlantic cable. A section of cable is mounted within the rook.
Bibliographic reference
A similar rook commemorating the same match was sold at Christie's, South Kensington, London, 7 December 2010, lot 357 (illustrated).
Other number
LOAN:AMERICANFRIENDS.441-2007 - Previous loan number
Collection
Accession number
M.8-2011

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Record createdApril 30, 2008
Record URL
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