PRESENTS Welcome to the SUMMER OF CHESS! Curated by Barrie Kavasch and Christopher Kavasch enter here KENT MEMORIAL LIBRARY Read. Learn. Imagine. Kent Memorial Library presents: A display of unique ethnic chess sets on loan from friends of the Kent Memorial Library. These sets illustrate some of the universal appeal of the ancient game of chess. Clever chess sets continue to evolve in order to suit artistic visions. Some of these pieces have amazing personalities. Although not for sale, these sets have certain appeal; most of us prefer to actually play with the standard Staunton chess pieces, which the library has for regular chess play. Check with the li- brary desk to “check out” a set to play with outside. THE NEFERTITI EGYPTIAN CHESS SET The Nefertiti Egyptian Chess Set from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, intricately carved and painted in wood. This collector’s item is on loan from Chess Master, Lisa Hickey of Earth Lore Gems & Minerals in Kent. As you peer in to each piece study the unique adornment. NFS THE CUP CAKE CHESS SET “The Cup Cake Chess Set” of chubby wooden pieces designed by Arthur Elliott and created in Italy by ANRI. This Modern Staunton Set made from cherry and birch wood pieces of simple, well- rounded form has a minimum if ornamen- tation, yet charming personalities. This set is on loan by Lisa Hickey, former Chess Master, and owner of Earth Lore Gems & Minerals in Kent, CT. NFS HAWAIIAN CHESS SET Hawaiian Chess Set of large rounded wooden pieces brought back from Hawaii per- haps 50 years ago. This charm- ing set is on loan from Gary Schenzer of New Milford, CT, who is one of the founders of the KML Chess Circle. NFS HUNGARIAN FOLK ART, HAND-PAIntED WOODEN CHESS SET A delicate old Hungarian folk art, hand-painted wooden Chess Set collected by New York artist Beatrice Schaefer in the 1950s, and is on loan to the Kent Memorial Library for this chess exhibit. The classic pieces have marvelous personalities. Note the bishops and the knights, and even the pawns are special little characters. NFS AFRICAN CHESS SET FROM THE HARVARD PEABODY An Antique African Chess Set from the Harvard Peabody, copied from select ethnographic objections from the Congo regions of West Africa collected in the 1880s. This remarkable set is composed of a synthetic stone resin “Estone” composition to simulate ivory. Some of these continued on back continued from inside pieces were amulets thought to have magical strength. This set is also on loan from the Beatrice Schaefer collec- tion from her daughter Barrie Sachs in Sherman, CT. NFS. The Chess King portrays a solemn hunter from the Mang- betu area of northern Congo and once adorned a sacred knife handle. The Chess Queen is fraught with symbolism and was thought to be an important fetish amulet symbol- izing fertility and magic. The Bishop was an unusual two- headed ivory fetish from south-central Congo. The Knight was symbolic of an ivory hunting whistle used to gather the village dogs in the Luba tribe. The Rook (or Castle) sym- bolizes an ivory fetish medicine masque. Some chess sets, like the game itself, are filled with special meaning, magic, and artistic adornment. A Bird Set of Staunton chess pieces made by C.H.Bird in Bethlehem, CT of Pyroxilin Enamel. This is a unique locally made chess set. KENT MEMORIAL LIBRARY Read. Learn. Imagine. 32 North Main Street Kent, Connecticut 06757 860-927-3761 • kentmemoriallibrary.org .