05 April 2015

The Artist and the Artwork

Here on Top eBay Chess Items by Price, I try not to feature the same object twice, but similar items come frequently into consideration, especially when there was little else of interest during the preceding fortnight. The item pictured below, titled 'Antique Austrian cold painted bronze orientalist playing chess signed Chotka', sold for US $995 after a single bid.

The description added,

A very beautiful antique Austrian cold painted bronze signed Chokta [sic], two Arab men playing chess on the bench over on an oriental rug with delicate design and colors. 9 1/2" x 6 1/2" x 5".

I featured Chotka a few years ago in Anton Chotka 18??-19?? (August 2013), where I mentioned,

I couldn't find much about Chotka on the web, and there is some disagreement on his life span.

Although that is still true, I would replace 'some disagreement' by 'considerable disagreement'. In the chess world we often devote as much time to the careers of outstanding players as we do to their specific games. In the art world, is it only the value of the art work that matters? Perhaps Chotka just wasn't important enough for basic research about his career.

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