Mosaic Chess Set with Brass and Mother-of-Pearl Pieces
Artifact SeriesHead of State Gifts
Artifact IDFO.115777.a-hh
Object Type
Set, Chess
Intended Recipient
President Barack Obama
(American, 1961)
Medium
stone, wood, shell (mother of pearl), adhesive, felt, textile (velvet), metal (brass), glaze
DimensionsOverall - 3D (Board ) H 17 7/8 in x W 17 7/8 in x D 1 1/4 in (45.4 cm x 45.4 cm x 3.2 cm )
Overall - 3D (Box) H 17 7/8 in x W 17 7/8 in x D 3 1/4 in (45.4 cm x 45.4 cm x 8.3 cm )
Overall - 3D (Kings) H 3 5/8 in x Diam 1 1/2 in (9.2 cm x 3.8 cm )
Overall - 3D (Queens) H 3 1/8 in x Diam 1 1/2 in (7.9 cm x 3.8 cm )
Overall - 3D (Bishops) H 2 7/8 in x Diam 1 1/4 in (7.3 cm x 3.2 cm )
Overall - 3D (Knights) H 2 3/4 in x Diam 1 1/4 in (7 cm x 3.2 cm )
Overall - 3D (Rooks) H 2 3/8 in x Diam 1 3/8 in (6 cm x 3.5 cm )
Overall - 3D (Pawns) H 1 1/4 in x Diam 1 1/8 in (3.2 cm x 2.9 cm )
Physical DescriptionMosaic chess set with a white and brown checkerboard design. The border of the board (.a) is gold-colored and shiny brass. The board is the top of a brown wood box (.b) that contains the chess pieces which are held in a velvet insert. It comes with two sets of chess pieces (one set is made of a light-colored wood and the other set is made of a dark-colored wood). The remaining pieces (Kings, Queens, Knights, Bishops, Rooks) have different shapes, including hourglass, cylinder, and cone. The light-colored wooden pieces King (.c), Queen (d), Bishops (e-f), Knights (g-h), and Rooks (i-j) have off-white mother of pearl mosaic inlays. The light-colored wood pawns (k-r) are cone-shaped with a brass rings around the base. The dark-colored wooden pieces King (s), Queen (t), Bishops (u-v), Knights (w-x), and Rooks (y-z) have blue and green mother of pearl mosaic inlays. The dark-colored wood pawns (.aa-hh) are cone-shaped with a brass rings around the base.Overall - 3D (Box) H 17 7/8 in x W 17 7/8 in x D 3 1/4 in (45.4 cm x 45.4 cm x 8.3 cm )
Overall - 3D (Kings) H 3 5/8 in x Diam 1 1/2 in (9.2 cm x 3.8 cm )
Overall - 3D (Queens) H 3 1/8 in x Diam 1 1/2 in (7.9 cm x 3.8 cm )
Overall - 3D (Bishops) H 2 7/8 in x Diam 1 1/4 in (7.3 cm x 3.2 cm )
Overall - 3D (Knights) H 2 3/4 in x Diam 1 1/4 in (7 cm x 3.2 cm )
Overall - 3D (Rooks) H 2 3/8 in x Diam 1 3/8 in (6 cm x 3.5 cm )
Overall - 3D (Pawns) H 1 1/4 in x Diam 1 1/8 in (3.2 cm x 2.9 cm )
Historical NoteReceived on the occasion of an official working visit to the White House by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan on February 24, 2016.
Custodial History / ProvenanceThe item was a gift from a foreign official to President Barack Obama during the Obama Administration. It was received through the Executive Office of the President and maintained there until its transfer to the National Archives in January 2017 for deposit with the Obama Presidential Library.Additional Details
National Archives Catalog CollectionBarack Obama Artifact Collection (National Archives Identifier 63542091)
National Archives Catalog SeriesGifts of State (National Archives Identifier 66540607)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - Possibly
Use Restriction NoteCopyright or other proprietary rights may be held by individuals or entities other than the Obama Presidential Library. The Obama Presidential Library does not warrant that the use of materials will not infringe on the rights of third parties holding the rights to these works, or make any representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement, treaty, or protections that may apply. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy any copyright or other use restrictions. Pertinent regulations can be found at 36 C.F.R 1254.62.
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