Book of Chess, Dice and Tables

Alfonso X, King of Castile

We know from the colophon that this manuscript was begun and completed in the city of Seville in 1283, making it one of the last works to be promoted by Alfonso X.

It is a compendium of games taken from the rich Oriental tradition, especially Indian, through Arabic sources. It consists of three parts devoted to: chess, which represents the intellect; dice, which is determined by chance; and tables, a combination of both.

New games are also added at the end of the manuscript, such as alquerque [a forerunner of draughts], new variants of tables, and astronomical chess. The games are each linked to different social classes and attitudes, and therefore also play an exemplary role.

The manuscript is richly illuminated: highly creative and detailed scenes show the players, men and women, absorbed in their games, which can be followed as the boards with their pieces are depicted from a downward perspective.

People from different territories, cultures and social classes, including the king and other members of the court, demonstrate their gaming skills. In addition, this manuscript provides us with the only surviving image of the royal Scriptorium.

https://rbdigital.realbiblioteca.es/s/rbme/item/13125

Data sheet

Object Type
Manuscript
Author
Alfonso X, King of Castile (1221-1284)
Location
Royal Library of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Date
1283
Dimensions
97 f. : perg. ; 400 x 280 mm.
Material and technical
Parchment
Inventory number
RBME T-I-6
Arriba