A Magnificent Chess Set By Paul Heermann Joins the Collection of the Green Vault

“Dealing in antiques offers the most thrilling life,” says Laura Kugel, a sixth-generation dealer in her family’s eponymous gallery. “You never know when you are going to discover an unexpected or unseen object with a fascinating provenance.”

Located in the historical Hôtel Collot on Paris’s Left Bank, Galerie Kugel has established a reputation for furnishing connoisseurs, collectors, and museum curators with the finest furniture and decorative arts on the market. The gallery is also dedicated to uncovering the untold histories of remarkable objects, and to highlighting the artistic context in which they were created.

The magnificent Chess Set serves as an exceptional case in point. Crafted in Dresden and Augsburg circa 1705–09, it features alternating squares of green-tinted ivory and tortoiseshell inlaid with silver stars and scrolls. The 32 exquisitely carved chess pieces, which measure a maximum of eight centimeters, are attributed to Paul Heermann (1673–1732), court sculptor of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (1670–1733).

The white chessmen, carved in ivory, represent the Romans; the black chessmen, carved in ebony, the Carthaginians. “Other Baroque chess sets reference the Punic Wars, but none are as virtuously carved as this one,” says Kugel. “Fine details such as the plumed helmets and horses’ manes exemplify Heermann’s high-quality craftsmanship.”

Each miniature masterpiece is set on a silver or silver-gilt base stamped with the maker’s mark of Paul Solanier (1635–1724), one of the leading Augsburg goldsmiths of the Augustan age. “It is the only chess set by Heermann and Solanier known to exist,” says Kugel. “The fact that it is complete and in excellent condition only increases its historical significance.”

After centuries in private hands, the chess set resurfaced in 2018. Galerie Kugel acquired the work and set about tracing the identity of the then unknown sculptor. “One of the ivory bishops holds a slip of paper bearing a faded inscription which reads ‘He../M..’,” explains Kugel. “Once we had identified it as Heermann’s signature, we began to compare the chess pieces with his other known sculptures.”

By way of example, Kugel cites Pantalone and Pulcinella, two of Heermann’s small ivory figures inspired by engravings by printmaker Jacques Callot. “Pantalone’s long hair and draped cape resemble those found on several chessmen,” she explains. The fact that the chess pieces feature stylistic traits of early 18th-century Saxon court works further supported the attribution.

As for provenance, it seems that the chess set almost certainly belonged to the leading Augsburg banker Christian I von Münch (1690–1757), in whose family it remained until 1920. “A tantalizing theory is that it was conceived for Augustus the Strong, who later offered it as a diplomatic gift to Max Emanuel II, Elector of Bavaria,” says Kugel. “Von Münch is known to have lent money to the highest authorities including Max Emanuel against works of art and jewels.”

Although no documents have surfaced to verify this early provenance, the luxurious materials and exquisite craftsmanship leave no doubt that it was a courtly commission. “Princes and aristocrats were taught to play chess to develop their patience and strategic thinking,” says Kugel. “A splendid set such as this one would likely have been displayed as a symbol of the patron’s intellect, wealth, and high-ranking social status.”

Galerie Kugel revealed the extraordinary discovery at TEFAF Maastricht in 2022. “It was an important moment for us,” Kugel recalls, explaining that visitors to TEFAF expect to see only the most exceptional works on the market. “We were thrilled when it became a visitor favorite.”

Among those keen to acquire the Baroque treasure was Marius Winzeler, director of the Green Vault in Dresden. Originally built between 1723 and 1729 by Augustus the Strong, the museum now contains one of the greatest treasure collections in Europe.

“The chess set has a special relevance for the Green Vault because the pieces are closely related to numerous small sculptures in the collection [including the aforementioned figures of Pantalone and Pulcinella], which allows for new avenues of research,” says Winzeler, who notes that it also fills a narrative gap. “We know from the museum’s inventories that there were once several magnificent Baroque chess sets in the collection that are now lost.”

Following initial negotiations, the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation acquired the chess set and gifted it to the Green Vault on occasion of its 300th anniversary. “It was the most beautiful birthday present we could ever imagine,” Winzeler says.

Kugel is equally thrilled with the outcome: “With links to both Augustus and Heermann, the chess set has found its perfect home,” she says. “It will not only dazzle visitors but also serve as means for the museum to explore intriguing narratives such as the history of chess or the collaboration between the Dresden court artists and Augsburg goldsmiths.”

The masterpiece highlighted a spring cabinet exhibition before going on permanent display in the Green Vault’s Dinglinger Hall alongside other Baroque treasures, including Johann Melchior Dinglinger’s Golden Coffee Service (1697–1701), for which Heermann carved two miniature ivory figures.

Winzeler hopes that seeing the chess set in context of the Dresden collection will inspire visitors to see how “original, versatile, and confident Heermann was in his iconography, use of materials, and style,” he says. “Thanks to the generosity of the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation and the kind consideration of Galerie Kugel, we have an exciting opportunity to introduce the set to a large audience for the first time in its history.”