Hand-Painted Medieval German Chess Set
(Warehouse 23)

Out Of Stock

Although the mold maker identified this as a 14th century German set, it is clearly influenced by Scandinavian patterns, as a comparison with the Lewis pieces will show. SCAdians will be interested in this set also, as it represents a northern European set of the 14th century A.D., suitable for personae up to the 17th century and practically any nation in Europe.

The king is seated, with a sword across his knees, like the Lewis Kings. The throne, however, is carved with row upon row of armed men-at-arms and topped by a lion. The Queen's throne is embellished with ladies in waiting, and topped with a lioness; the Bishops are seated on thrones are carved with acolytes. The knight is clearly inspired by the Lewis knights from the Isle of Lewis Chess Set, but carries no shield. The Rook is most interesting in that it shows a Warder, like the Lewis set, but standing atop a tower, blowing a horn to sound the alarm. A rook of similar design, but with a broken horn, can be seen in the British Museum. The pawns are simple barrel-shapes, with an engraved design. Kings are 3.75" (9.4cm).

All pieces were cast in Hydrostone (a trademark of the United States Gypsum Corporation), a reconstituted stone material used by sculptors. The pieces were hand-painted to resemble aged ivory, given several coats of acrylic varnish, and then coated with a museum-grade paste wax to enhance their appearance and feel. The bottoms are felted. No board is included. The set is large enough to require a board with 2" (5 cm) squares. The pieces displayed are the ivory ones, as they show off the detail best; the other half of the set is done in a dark red stain.

A close-up image of the red King and Queen can be seen here.

32 chess pieces
Stock #W23-9002 * $100.00

This item is no longer available through Warehouse 23

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