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On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Chess Piece

1897 (made)
Artist/Maker
Carlo and Arthur Giuliano (maker)
Place of origin
London (made)

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
Jewellery
Metalwork
Games
Object type
Chess piece
Materials and techniques
cable mounted in gilded metal
Cable
Gilt Metal
Gilding
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
Castle
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
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
M.8-2011

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Record createdApril 30, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O153869/chess-piece-carlo-and-arthur/
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