Chessman (Pawn) 1850 - 1875

This small silver chess piece, a pawn, was made by Elkington and Co., a prominent British firm known for its expertise in metalwork. Chess sets were historically commissioned by the wealthy as symbols of power, strategy and intellect. However, the industrial revolution saw the rise of companies like Elkington that used new technologies to mass produce decorative art, making luxury items like this pawn accessible to the burgeoning middle class. Notice the details: the soldier's uniform and the rifle he carries, details enabled by the electroplating processes pioneered by Elkington. These chessmen evoked historical narratives and a sense of prestige, but were also commodities within a rapidly changing social landscape. To fully understand this object, we need to know more about the social history of chess, the patronage of decorative arts in 19th century Britain, and the industrial processes developed by companies like Elkington. All this informs our understanding of this pawn as both a work of art and a product of its time.