The 1849 Cooke Luxury Chess Pieces - 4.4" King - From the Camaratta Collection

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An Extraordinary Reproduction of the First-Ever Club-Size Staunton Chessmen

The House of Staunton is immensely proud to present The 1849 Cooke Luxury Chess Pieces, an exact and meticulously researched reproduction of the very first Club-Size Nathaniel Cooke Staunton Chessmen, as they appeared upon their historic debut on September 29, 1849. Recreated by renowned Staunton authority Frank Camaratta, this extraordinary set faithfully replicates every detail of the earliest Jaques-Cooke chessmen - the original pattern that forever changed the landscape of the modern game.

This full Club-size set features a commanding 4-3/8" King with a 1-7/8" diameter base, crafted from the highest-grade Boxwood and Ebony. The Chessmen are very heavily weighted for perfect balance and stability, resting atop plush green billiard cloth base pads, with the Kings elevated upon luxurious gold-embossed Black English leather discs. In keeping with both historical practice and modern excellence, each set includes 34 Chessmen, complete with an extra pair of Queens for effortless Pawn promotion - a standard first introduced by Frank Camaratta in 1995 and now embraced worldwide.

This reproduction is accurate down to the finest historical nuance. As in the 1849 originals, one Knight and one Rook from each army bear the impressed King’s Crown, a convention originally suggested by Howard Staunton in 1842 to designate the Kingside pieces. The accompanying images illustrate the remarkable precision of this reproduction, showcasing comparisons between our Knights and those from the oldest known Club-Size Jaques Staunton sets.

This is not merely a chess set - it is a rare opportunity to own a piece of living history.

Some Background

The Staunton pattern has become nothing less than the worldwide standard for both tournament and casual play. Its clean, simple, and elegant forms - brilliantly conceived and economically manufactured - helped transform chess from an aristocratic pastime into a universally accessible pursuit. More than 170 years after its creation, the Staunton design remains as modern, functional, and visually compelling as it was in 1849.

Yet at its introduction, this groundbreaking pattern met with resistance from traditional clubs and players accustomed to older English Playing designs. The fresh, revolutionary aesthetic of the Staunton Chessmen was the result of careful artistic, cultural, and symbolic choices:

• The Knight is inspired by the noble steeds depicted in the Parthenon frieze, expropriated by Lord Elgin between 1801 and 1812 - now known as the Elgin Marbles. Most notably, the head of the horse pulling the Moon Goddess Selene became the unmistakable visual anchor of the Staunton design.
• The Bishop was envisioned as a representation of a flame - its wide, deeply mitered head intended to symbolize the tongues of fire associated with divine enlightenment in Christian iconography.
• The Rook, solid and architectural, embodies its name and role on the board with unmistakable clarity.
• The King and Queen are depicted by their distinctive headpieces resting upon regal “pillows,” denoting their elevated status.
• The Pawn is commonly believed to represent the Freemason’s Square and Compass, though this reference remains debated.

The design of The 1849 Cooke Chessmen captures the form, proportion, and unmistakable board presence of the earliest Staunton pattern sets - a testament to the artistry and innovation that reshaped the world of chess.