A year after their last all-game auction, Bonhams is having another one on May 19th. Mostly Chess-related, as usual. Some selections:

Lot No: 13 – A pack of Chapman transformation playing cards, London, Reynolds & Sons, 1878, steel-engraving, single ended court cards, square corners, plain yellow backs, in a black leather case, 9 x 6.5cm [52/52]. Estimate: £350 – 550

Lot No: 14 – An “anti-religions” pack of playing cards, Soviet Russia, circa 1930, rounded corners, masque design in red and white to the backs, depicting the various religions of the Soviet Empire: Catholicism, Orthodoxism, Judaism and Confucianism, with a “Capitalist” joker, 9 x 6cm, [53]. Estimate: £300 – 400

Lot No: 51 – The Royal Game of British Sovereigns, exhibiting the most remarkable events in each reign from Egbert to George III, early 19th century, paper mounted on linen, hand-coloured engravings depicting various events in British History, published by J & E Wallis, 42 Skinner Street, London and J. Wallis Junr, Marine Library, Sidmouth, with the original slipcase (worn), 50 x 64cm (2). Estimate: £200 – 300

According to BGG, events of interest including the murder of Thomas Becket and Ann Boleyn being beheaded.

Lot No: 125 – A cast iron “Reynard the Fox” figural chess set by the Zimmerman Foundry, Hanau, Germany, 19th century, one side “silvered”, the other side with a bronze finish, the chessmen after designs by Von Kaulbach, kings and queens as foxes or dogs wearing crowns, bishops as foxes or wolves, knights as goats or rabbits, rooks as turrets, pawns as dogs or cats, both kings stamped: Zimmerman…Verlag. B.E.I.F.G…Hanau, the king 9cm high, the pawn 4.5cm high. Estimate: £600 – 800

Lot No: 160* – A “Bear of Berne” pearwood figural chess set, Switzerland, circa 1870, one side stained a dark brown, the other side left natural, kings wearing crowns and holding sceptres, queens as bears wearing crowns and holding guns, bishops as bears holding spears, knights as bears on all four paws, rooks as turrets surmounted with small bears, pawns as bears holding hunting rifles, the king 10cm high, the pawn 6cm high. Estimate: £3,000 – 5,000

Let me repeat that: “queens as bears wearing crowns and holding guns”. Rowr. I think this is the most expensive lot in the auction.