Calvert Series Antique Reproduction Chessmen

• Influenced by John Calvert.
• Hand made and polished.
• Presented in superb gift packaging.
• Distinctive 3.75" (95 mm) king.
• Weighted and felted.
• Perfect on an 18" (45 cm) board.

These unique chessmen replicate the work of John Calvert of Fleet Street, who was one of the leading chess set craftsmen in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Calvert’s hand turned chessmen were recognisable for their graded knight and tulip bishop. Today we can see similarities with the traditional Staunton design, particularly in the castle-like rook, but this set of ornate chess pieces certainly has its own identity. The 3.75 inch king, for example, is a gyroscope of intricately turned layers, leading up to a bulbed top. There is no other king here at Regency chess that has such a unique style, distinctiveness courtesy of John Calvert’s 18th century design.

Style ahead of its time

It is the knight, though, that stands out from other sets the most with its sloping top and half bulb. This piece, with its sharp geometric lines, is almost art deco on its upper half, sitting atop a ringed foundation that is more familiar to the era in which it was made.

Standing next to the knight is an elegant bishop with a slim neck, and a queen that mirrors the king in an understated way, boasting fewer jewels.
Our partner craftsmen have replicated John Calvert’s design admirably, using turning techniques not a million miles away from what the great master would have used at his London workshop.

Hand made, lightly coloured

Each piece is handmade and then polished to create an antique finish. The darker pieces have been treated individually to give them a varnished hue that honours the same colour originally used with these chessmen. During the early 19th century it was fashionable for chess pieces to have a reddish colour rather than the black and dark brown figures of today.
To complement this colour we recommend matching the Calvert Reproduction Series Chessmen with a dark board between 17 and 19 inches.


In fact, the Regency Chess product team have put them on a Spanish-made board to create the Calvert Antique Reproduction Palisander Chess Set.