West Africa
Large Chess Set from Burkina Faso
Large Chess Set from Burkina Faso
A large and sophisticated chess set from Burkina Faso.
The pieces are crafted in bronze using the lost-wax method; each piece was cast in a terracotta mold that was then broken to extract the bronze piece. A manufacturing method typical of Burkinabe sets.
The board is made of wood and has been assembled; it is a genuine piece of marquetry.
The pieces are stored in a handcrafted African box lined with leather and decorated with tribal motifs.
The largest pieces are the knights, measuring 14 cm.
The board measures 44.7 x 44.7 cm.
The set is not only large but sophisticated; the king and queen are seated on thrones, and the king has a sunshade.
On the rooks, represented by houses, the vaulted roofs feature inclines and declines.
The figures have faces with eyes, noses, mouths, and eyebrows, and they also wear loincloth-like garments around the waist.
But the most interesting pieces are the knights, represented by gazelles.
Beyond the artistic form, highly figurative and abstract in their bodies, what captures attention above all is the size and shape of their horns—very tall and twisted, they are of great beauty.
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Burkina Faso
Senegal
Niger
Togo
East Africa
African Chess Set Malawi
African Chess Set Malawi
An African chess set from Malawi in exotic wood. The dark pieces are in ebony.
This is a handcrafted work, the pieces are carved in the Malawian style, they are very original. The figures have prominent features and grimacing faces. The knights are of great beauty and the rooks, represented by huts, have sophisticated roofs.
The board is a piece of marquetry.
The king measures 11 cm
The board measures 38 x 38 cm
Chess sets from Malawi are quite original and unique compared to sets from other African nations, their style is easily recognizable.
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Malawi
Kenya
Southern Africa
Malachite and white marble chess set
Malachite and white marble chess set
A large, highly intricate malachite set.
The king measures 9.4 cm with a 2.8 cm base. The pawns measure 4.6 cm.
The board measures 41 cm.
This size is unusually large for a malachite set. The set was made in South Africa in the 1990s, using malachite probably sourced from mines in Namibia. Its creation must have required great skill and considerable time. Please note that these sets are hand-carved.
The set has been well preserved. These sets are fragile, and it is rare to find them intact.
Malachite is an intensely green stone with linear strata that divide its colour into a range of shades. It is a stone with a luminous, complex, and particularly intriguing appearance.
It has often been a royal or magical attribute for various royal houses and dynasties throughout the ages, notably the pharaohs. It is believed to have magical properties in Africa.
You will notice that this set is not only large, but also sophisticated in its finishing details, notably the knights, which feature nostrils, a mouth, a mane, brow ridges, and ears.
Their design and aesthetics evoke Africa and its artistic sensibility rooted in tribal figurative art.
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South Africa
Mozambique
Namibia
Madagascar
Malagasy carved chess set – Madagascar
Malagasy carved chess set – Madagascar
A Malagasy chess set from the island of Madagascar.
Hand-carved from precious wood, notably Madagascar ebony for the dark pieces.
The set is large, with a king measuring 14.8 cm in height and 4.9 cm in width at the base.
The board measures 45 x 45 x 9 cm.
The artist, a certain “Jean,” has signed the underside of every piece.
The pieces are all in very good condition, with no damage except for a small break on the roof of one white rook. The accessories held by the characters are all still present, though some appear to have been shortened.
I have handled many Malagasy chess sets over the years, and I can say that this one is by far the most sophisticated and beautiful.
The composition, carving, and finishing work are simply remarkable. The characters are absolutely superb, with realistic proportions and postures; the clothing and outfits are elaborate, and even their musculature has been beautifully defined. Their hairstyles have been crafted with great care, and they even have distinct facial expressions.
They carry all kinds of accessories and attributes, but the originality of this set is, above all, the way the characters—and particularly the pawns—are staged in a variety of situations representing their daily lives.
There are drunkards, young boys, women with their babies, men slaughtering chickens…
Scenes of daily life, unusual for a chess set and executed with great talent.
A unique piece of Malagasy craftsmanship.
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Morocco
Moroccan Thuya Wood Chess Set
Moroccan Thuya Wood Chess Set
An Arab set from Morocco carved in thuya wood.
The set is unique and completely handcrafted, the pieces are finely carved, they are refined, slender and figurative, their design is pure, almost mysterious.
They are very slender but tall, the king measures 14cm in height.
The board is a piece of marquetry, it is decorated and adorned with mosaics, the small motifs running along its edges have been carved into the wood and not simply painted on.
The relief of its borders gives it depth.
Finally, the pieces are stored in a large carved wooden box.