Chess Cameo

After a short break from blogging, the next post is a return to Top eBay Chess Items by Price, last seen two weeks ago in Chess Chaperones. As luck would have it, I had a number of interesting items to choose from:-

• 2013 Sinquefield Cup Commemorative Chess Set ('comes with a Certificate of Authenticity that was hand-signed by all four of the participants in the match'); sold for US $950.00 after receiving 34 bids from 10 bidders
• CHESS BOOK ALEXANDER ALEKHIN SIGNED - MY BEST GAMES; US $950.00, Buy-It-Now
• BRENTANO'S CHESS MONTHLY. New York, 1881-82. Complete run; US $736.00, 7 bids, two bidders
• Cuban Presidential Invitation Signed By Significant Chess Masters Capablanca; $500.00, Best offer accepted; 'an official invitation to the international chess championship for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Cuba, this is an official invitation to the inauguration at the presidential palace. Each player received an invitation, this is the personal invitation of Erich Eliskases, and was signed by all the major players present [...] including Larry Evans, Edward Lasker, [...] This tournament was dedicated to Jose Raul Capablanca .
• 2 Photographs of David Oistrakh and Louis Persinger Playing Chess US $487.00, 30 bids, eight bidders; I'm sure I saw one of the photos in Chess Life many years ago

Visually more interesting than any of those was the item pictured below. Titled '20C Antique Villeroy Boch Mettlach Phanolith Cameo Plaque Children Playing Chess', it sold for US $499.99 after a single bid.

The description mainly echoed the title,

This is a wonderful Early 20C Antique Villeroy Boch Mettlach Phanolith Cameo Plaque Children Playing Chess. Measure 14" 10 3/4". Very good condition.

As for 'Villeroy Boch Mettlach Phanolith', Wikipedia tells us,

Phanolith is a kind of porcelain that combines the characteristics and benefits of jasperware and pâte-sur-pâte. It was developed at Villeroy & Boch in Mettlach, Saarland, Germany, at the end of the nineteenth century.

For more, see Phanolith.