Selenus chess set

In 1616, in Leipzig, an author using the pseudonym Gustavus Selenus published a book on chess called “Chess, or the King’s Game.” One of the prominent engraved illustrations in the book showed two aristocrats playing chess with beautifully and unusually shaped pieces. The book was quite popular across Europe at the time, and the chess set style became known as Selenus.The Selenus style was very successful. Despite the elegance and sophistication of the pieces, they could be made from various materials, including wood, bone, silver, and even glass. Interestingly, France became so enamored with the style that it invented a special technique for trimming park trees called Selenus, which is still used today.