A Chess Board

The "zatrichion" chess board, a fresco from the Palace of Knossos, -ca 16th century BC.

In the New Palace Period some remarkable miniature work was done not only in faience, but also in rock crystal, ivory and other precious materials. Some idea of these compositions is given by the famous gaming board from the Palace of Knossos, constructed from ivory, rock crystal, blue glass paste, and gold and silver leaf.

It is accompanied by four ivory gaming pieces, with which, perhaps, the players tried to capture the four "towers".

This was undoubtedly a royal game. The only similar finds come from the contemporary Egyptian Court.

View the original in the Iraklion Museum

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