Nice.....thanks!
King Richard II of England, a chess player?
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Interesting article, no doubt.
Sep 22, 2021
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Interesting read.
Here's an excerpt from a 2016 book by Neil Murphy, titled, "The Captivity of John II, 1356-60: The Royal Image in Later Medieval England and France":
and here's a close up of the Kings from a wooden circa 1955 Richard II chess set (priced at $7,000):
Glad you've enjoyed it.
Yes, found too some Richard II chess sets in web and made me some impression. Enlightening somehow this excerpt-thank you batgirl.
*Edward III was the previous to Richard II king of England and his grandfather. Black prince was Edward III's son and Richard's II father.
I'd love to know more about this. I wonder, is there any significance to the bag hanging down from the chessboard in the second image? Presumably this was how the chess pieces were retained in one pack, and connected with the board?
Swampy-Gum wrote:
I'd love to know more about this. I wonder, is there any significance to the bag hanging down from the chessboard in the second image? Presumably this was how the chess pieces were retained in one pack, and connected with the board?
hawk-eye
! hadn't noticed
Don't remember exactly how I reached to this specific manuscript but it possibly started with searching for medieval chessboards seen on a wall, cause of a previous forum topic.
There's a manuscript in the British Library [BL Royal 14 E IV, 15th c.], which is a part of the "Recueil des croniques et anciennes istoires de la Grant Bretaigne", by Jean of Wavrin, a medieval French chronicler and compiler of the 15th c, who wrote on the medieval British history.
At two instances, around king Richard II of England [1367 – 1400], there're two illustrations, where a chessboard can be seen on the background wall; while I couldn't find similar depictions in the rest of the manuscript.
from BL Royal 14 E IV, f. 265v
According to description, it's probably in the Richard's palace with him dining with the Dukes of York, Gloucester and Ireland. A 10x10 chessboard can be seen on the right wall. It's around events of the Hundred Years' War; while I think that with some of these dukes there was some fragile alliance.
from BL Royal 14 E IV, f. 259v
It's generally described in modern catalogues as depicting king Richard II and the king of Armenia. Reading ms description and some history facts, it's more possibly in some palace's rooms of king Richard again; where Leo VI of Lusignan [1342-1393], last king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, then a refugee in Europe, is visiting England trying to negotiate with king Richard II of England, while his previous stop was the court of king Charles VI of France [1368 – 1422]. Ultimate goal was to reconcile England and France, in order to organize a new Crusade. There's a 5x7 chessboard on the right wall.
Was it a later rumor? In the ms description in BL is said that it was transcribed in Lille FRA in 1470 ca, and illuminated in Southern Netherlands [Bruges]; while first ownership was possibly of king Edward IV of England [1442-1483].