New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-05-24
The Morphy Testimonial.

The New York Sun Of the 18th furnishes the fol-
lowing description of the chessboard and chess-men
to be presented to Paul Morphy in that city:
The chess board on exhibition at Tiffany & Co.'s
Broadway, intended to be presented to Paul Morphy
and to which alluded some time since is quite an
object OF yertu and has occupied experienced artis
ans SIX weeks one week.beng required for polishing
alone. The body of the board is of rosewood. It is
square of twenty-six inches, built in panes that
the contraction and expansion caused by heat or
dampness cannot affect the truth of the cheuuer por
tIon. Around the board a slightly raised edge
ornamepted by delicate lines Of inlaid silver. The
border between the edge and the squares is about
three inches wide Close to the edge three lines of
inlad silver one heavy between two very light ones,
relieve the sombre effect OF the rosewood The
squares are enclosed in frame formed y four tourn-
ameut lances of inlaid silver handsomely engraved
proper.
The chess men to be used on this board are worthy
companions for it, They are of solid gold and silver
and contain nearly one thousand dollars worth of pure
metal. The King of the gold men is an elegant sta
tuette dressed in royal robes with ball on his head
and royal crown and sceptre at his feet The piece
is four inches high, and weighs two ounces. The
Queen is also satuette, in royal raiment, nicely en-
graved, and has crown at her feet She is three
inches and three quarters high, and weighs nearly as
much as the King. The Bishops are excellent sueci
mems of the fighting prelates of the time when the
shepherds who grasped the Episcopal crosier also
donned the helmet, and went to the like tempo
raj princes at the head of the Churchs doughty war
riors. These representatives of the Church Militant
are spirited satuettes, three inches and half high
clad in full armor, with drawn double.edged Roman
swords in the act of shifting. The Knights are statu-
cites OF horse full figures, rearing the hind legs
They are three inches and half high are beautifully
shaded, and are provided with sparkling ruby eyes,
The Rocks are figures of stately elephants covered
with tiger.skins, and furnished with castles on the
bateltments of which American Eagles are lust
spreading their pinions Both elephants and eagles
are well scuptured, and have eyes of rubies. The
Rocks are three inches and three quarters high and
weigh five ounces. The Pawns are Roman soldiers,
shield in left. They are two inches high and weigh
two ounces The pedestals of all the pieces are hand
somely engraved and the feet are of fine cornelan--
oval, one inch and half in the largest diameter for
The main pieces and circular, one inch in diameter
for the pawns
The silver men differ slightly from the gold men,
The hing is the same size as the gold King, but re-
presents a belgerent monarch at the head of his
army he is clad in full armor, with winged helmet
on his head, long crusaders shield, bearing the
motto Liberty on his left arm, and long, sharp
sword firmly grasped in his right hand. His crown
and sceptre lie at his feet. The Queen is in erulinc
robes and has also crown at her feet The Bishops
like the gold Bishops, are warriors of renown but of
different pattern, carrying long swords, and wear.
the same pattern as the other pieces The pawns are
statuettes OF barbalic warriors dressed in bulls hides
wearing the horns on their heads, and with both
hands grasping formidable looking hludgeons as if
on the point of Draining the little fellows with the
short swords, on the other side The conception of
the figures is very good, and the design is excellSny
carried out in all OF them. The testimonal-men Md
board-as the finest production of the kind ever at
tempted IN this country, deserves unqualified com
mendaton. The men are enclosed in a substantial
Turkey Morocco case, each piece having a velvet
socket made to fit it.