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"Napoleon and Henri IV" Chess Pieces

Early 19th century
Artist/maker unknown, French
In the early nineteenth century French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821) was a popular subject for chess sets, appearing opposite a variety of historical figures. Here, the king and queen are represented on one side by Napoléon (in his familiar tricorne) and his wife Joséphine, and on the opposing side by the earlier French ruler King Henri IV (1553–1610) and his wife Marie de’ Medici. As is often the case in French sets, the bishop is replaced by a jester.

Object Details

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