Le Jeu des échecs moralisé (University of Chicago Library MS. 392)

Jacobus de Cessolis writes Le Jeu des échecs moralisé. 
Mérodak and the philosopher Xerxès play chess, f. 1r.

Colloquial name(s): Le Jeu des échecs moralisé, The Moralised Game of Chess

Official name(s): University of Chicago Library MS. 392

Date: c. 1365 (source)

Origin: France (source)

Online facsimile available via: The University of Chicago Library (folio numbers at bottom left of page).

University of Chicago Library MS. 392 is a copy of Le Jeu des échecs moralisé, a description of an ideal society through the metaphor of the (then relatively new) game of chess. It was written in the 13th C by Jacobus de Cessolis (source). UC MS. 392 was produced by the 'Master of Saint Voult', along with its sister manuscript Le Roman de la Rose (University of Chicago Library MS. 1380). These two manuscripts have very similar artistic styles, were kept together and, at some points in history, were bound together (source and second source). 

The manuscript contains delightful examples of French fashionable dress from the third quarter of the 14th C. Unlike its sister manuscript, it contains far more military images and far fewer images of women.

A list of the folios containing illustrations will be added here in due course.