East Asia
China
Cantonese Burmese chess set, 1820–1850
Rare and old model, produced in the mid-19th century between around 1820 and 1850. These are called “Burmese models” not because of their origin but because of the Burmese influence found in their aesthetic. These sets were made from by Chinese artisans in the Canton region and were often sold and exported in the city of Macao. The king measures 9.2 cm with a base of 3.2 cm. The pawns measure 4.8 cm.
The finishes and details on the pieces are incredibly intricate, you would actually need a magnifying glass to really appreciate how meticulous the workmanship is and the number of microscopic finishes that cover the entire surface of the pieces. The two parts of the bishops’ miter, for example, are separated by an incredibly fine space, just wide enough to fit a sheet of paper. The floral decorations on the lower balls of the king and queen bodies are highly embossed and deep, standing out beautifully and clearly, they are carved with great refinement. The heads of the pawns are subtly carved into blossoming flowers with petals opening. The small surface of the pieces contains such a wealth of details, patterns, and symbols that they almost seem to contain a tiny universe, which can only be deciphered with a magnifying glass.
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Chess set Cantonese - 19th century - Export game - Canton
An antique chess set, with sublime finishes. Carved in the 19th century. These were made in the city of Canton in China, they were export pieces designed for the european market. The largest piece is 10,6 cm with a base of 4 cm.
The set represent a battle between two imperial armies. Each set has different representations for the kings, queens, bishops and pawns. The rooks are elephants carrying flags. Every part of the pieces is crafted and adorned with magnificent decorative motifs. From their bodies to their bases. And between the two, elegantly sculpted balls are there to create balance and harmony. You’ll notice the exceptionally sophisticated design of the king and queen outfit both from the front and the back, especially when it comes to the white queen and the red king. You’ll also notice the small decorative patterns on the outfits of the bishops, the elaborate pose of the horses whose front legs are elevated on figurative rocks, and the brave demeanor of the pawn soldiers, illustrated by their heads raised up and their offensive posture.
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Cantonese export game 19th century
With chess pieces checkers and cups. Probably from the early 19th century, it was made in Canton and is an export game. These were sold with folding wooden chess sets with backgammon game inside, with both chess pieces, backgammon pawns and cups.
I believe the pieces represent a battle between a Ming emperor (in red) and a Qing emperor (white). The carvings are impressive, it might not seem to be the case on the backgammon pieces but their decorations are worked on very small surfaces, each of the little stars carved is about 2 millimeters
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Chinese bone chess set
A hand-carved bone game. The design of the pieces is inspired by imperial China and was made in the People’s Republic of China in the 1970s – 1980s.
The storage box measures 35 x 21.3 x 7.3 cm. The king measures 9.2 cm with a base of 2.4 cm. The finish on the pieces are pretty nice considering their size. The faces of the horses in particular are quite interesting. The bases are made of stacked bone discs.
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Hong Kong
Large Hong Kong chess set – 1950 - 1960
Splendid piece, everything made with great refinement and attention to detail. This is a Hong Kong model, most likely made after World War II in the 1950s or 1960s.
This is a rather large one, with the board measuring 56 x 28 cm when closed. The tallest piece measures 12.8 cm with a base of 4.8 cm. The pieces are in excellent condition and have been wonderfully preserved
I have handled a number of Hong Kong games, and this is one of the most beautiful I have seen. All the pieces are crafted with meticulousness, including the bases, which are decorated with imperial and floral motifs. All the pieces are unique and distinguishable from each other, with the exception of the towers. The hairs and beards are very detailed and colorful. Even the pawns are remarkably crafted, one example being the pawn represented by a woman holding a flower. The petals are individually carved and separated from each other. The knights, with their unique posture and faces turned towards the sky, are very original and different from the classical design usually found in these games. The kings and queens, with their costumes, headdresses, and imperial objects, are the most beautiful pieces in the game.
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Large Hong Kong chess set
This is a Hong Kong model, this one was brought to Europe in the 1960s. It is pretty large, with a board measuring 61 x 61 cm. When folded, it measures 61 x 30 x 12 cm. The king measures 14.3 cm with a base of 4.2 cm.
The pieces feature very sophisticated finishes and are decorated with imperial motifs drawn in Chinese ink. The dark pieces have been painted with a coral color, giving them a beautiful appearance. The pieces in the two sets are different from each other to represent two distinct armies, and most of the pieces have their own unique design. All pieces are felted.
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Another large Hong Kong game
Another Hong Kong model. Similar to the one above, with silk cushions and a wooden board. The board measures 60.3 x 60.3 cm. When folded, it measures 60.3 x 30.2 x 11.2 cm. The king measures 12.9 cm high.
It represents the same theme as the other one. A popular theme for chess pieces in Hong Kong at that time. The battle between the kingdoms of China and Korea. All the pieces also have their own designs. The pieces in the two sets are different from each other to represent two distinct armies, and most of the pieces have their own design. The knights have spears that are separate from their bodies and can be removed. The work on the faces of the characters, especially the king and queen, is remarkable.
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Hong kong chess set with mother-of-pearl board
Made in Hong Kong at the end of the 20th century. The king is 7.9 cm high, the widest base is 3.5 cm, and the board measures 38 x 38 cm. The pieces have been handcrafted. The white pieces have not been painted and retain their natural appearance.
As is often the case with Hong Kong sets, the pieces all feature their own unique designs. The board is made of wood covered with mother-of-pearl, giving it an iridescent multicolored appearance. Its squares are decorated with traditional Asian pictorial representations.
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Japan
Japanese netsuke chess set 1950
This Japanese chess set was made in Japan after World War II in the 1950s. The pieces are netsuke, representing traditional Japanese figures in various ceremonial attire. They come with their original board, which has individual compartments for each piece.
They were hand-carved. The set is very small in size, a little gem carved and decorated with great attention to detail. The king measures 4.1 cm and the pawns 2.5 cm. The unfolded board measures 26.5 x 26.5 x 4 cm. Japanese sets from this period are very rare, much more so than Chinese or Hong Kong sets.
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Southeast Asia
Noble Indian Bone Chess Set on Marble Board
Noble Indian Bone Chess Set on Marble Board
A precious and luxurious chess set.
The pieces were carved in India from noble bone and display great sophistication. They are fine, slender, and decorated with pierced spheres and fluted collars. The pieces were crafted in the second half of the 20th century.
The board consists of a marble chessboard surrounded by a wooden frame and elevated on 4 feet.
The king measures 9.4 cm in height with a 3.7 cm base
The pieces are screwed onto their bases; their lower parts are carved in spirals to screw into them. The bases are felted.
The board measures 38 x 38 x 4 cm.
This set of great refinement bears witness to the talent and mastery of Indian craftsmen of that era.
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Indonesia
Indonesian chess set with Tampak Siring pedestal base
A magnificent Indonesian chess set from Tampak Siring on the island of Bali, Indonesia, made by the sculptor Mokirab. The pedestal board is signed with the artist’s name and the object’s provenance; the signature is also present on one of the pieces.
The set was hand-carved from Champaca wood, a precious and exotic wood. This unique dark wood with reddish highlights is native to the Indo-Malayan ecozone. The game table measures 45.7 x 45.7 x 15 cm. The king of the set measures 12 cm.
The finishing on the pieces is exceptionally refined; I have rarely seen Indonesian pieces this beautiful. They feature many polished surfaces and wood curves that are quite unusual for a Balinese set. As these sets are generally made up of a multitude of protruding details. The originality of this set also lies in the knights, which are depicted as highly detailed horses with polished bodies. This is rare for an Indonesian set, in which horses are not usually found and where the knights are ordinarily represented by Garuda eagles. Bali is the island of the gods in Indonesia; craftsmanship there is rooted in religious practice and an idol cult blending Hinduism and Buddhism.
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Indonesian chess set from the island of Bali
An Indonesian chess set from the island of Bali, hand-carved from champaca wood. It is a large, sophisticated, and the patina seems relatively old. The unfolded board measures 53 x 53 x 5.5 cm. It is foldable and allows the pieces to be stored inside. It is decorated with arabesques on its edges. The largest piece in the chess set measures 16.8 cm, which is large for an Indonesian set. The smallest piece measures 6.8 cm.
The pieces and board are nicely finished, in a very traditional way. A work that does credit to Balinese craftsmanship. Its creation must have taken some time. It is difficult to estimate its age, but the pieces and board have a patina aged by time and an antique look.
The representations and style are fairly traditional, the only distinctive feature of this set is the phallic shape that adorns the heads of the characters. In Indonesian sculptural tradition, it is not uncommon for eroticism to be mixed in with the sacred, as evidenced by the Candi Sukuh temple in Java. And when we take a look at various historic monuments around the world, from obelisks to skyscrapers, the phallic shape has often been associated with an attribute of power and divinity. The representations for the pieces are pretty classical for a Balinese set. The king is represented by Vishnu, the god who protects the balance in the universe, riding Garuda, the legendary eagle that carries him through the skies and is also the emblem of Indonesia.
The queen is represented by Sarasvatî, goddess of knowledge and the arts, riding her mount, the White Goose, whose sensitive beak can recognize the purity of milk. The bishops represent Barong, the lion god, lord of the forest and leader of the divine armies. The knights are sculptures of the eagle Garuda depicted alone, and the rooks are in the image of Hanuman, the monkey god. The pawns are Dvarapalas, guardian deities with a gruff and fierce appearance who are placed in pairs or rows at the entrance to temples to protect them.
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Hand-carved Java chess set
A hand-carved wooden chess set from Java. The set includes the pieces and a foldable wooden board that also serves as a storage box; it is most likely inspired by the Hindu epic Ramayana, featuring Rama and his queen.
The set is hand-carved from hardwood; the pieces are finely carved and polished. Their bases are turned, and their busts carved. The checkerboard pattern is inlaid, and the decorations along its edges are handcrafted. The board measures 44 x 44 cm; the king is 12.6 cm tall, and the pawns are 6.6 cm tall.
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Large Indonesian Polychrome Chess Set
An Indonesian chess set from the island of Bali. What’s more, it’s a hand-painted polychrome model, which is rare for this style of chess. The largest piece measures 17.5 cm in height and the widest base measures 3.9 cm.
These large pieces were hand-carved in the late 20th century. They have been remarkably well preserved and are all in very good condition. No cracks, no missing pieces and no chips. Although fully painted, the dark and light pieces appear to have been carved from different woods, with heavier wood for the dark pieces and lighter wood for the white pieces. By way of comparison, the black king weighs 96 grams, while the white king weighs 65 grams.
The finishes on the pieces are quite sophisticated, especially given their size, and the paintwork is very meticulous. This is a work that must have taken a considerable amount of time to create.
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Giant Indonesian polychrome Chess Set
An exceptionally large set. The board measures 73 x 73 x 8 cm. The king is 27 cm tall. Sets of this size are very rare. This one was made in Indonesia, and the names of the pieces (king, bishops, queen, etc.) are written in Indonesian on the underside of the bases. The board and pieces are made of light wood. The pieces can be stored inside the board.
The pieces represent deities and mythological figures. The representations are a bit different from those usually found on most Indonesian sets, they have human features and bodies rather than animal or anthropomorphic ones. They were hand-painted with bright, golden colors.
This game shows an alternative side of Indonesian chess art, having been designed in a very different way and using different methods than the country’s common games.
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Medieval Indonesian chess set
These are interesting chess pieces. They are Indonesian, but they were carved on a medieval theme, which is very unusual for chess pieces from this country. The king measures 12.7 cm with a base of 3 cm. The pieces are well crafted with elaborate finishes. Their design is very original and interesting, an Indonesian interpretation of the medieval style.
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Large Indonesian chess pieces
Another large set. The king is 17 cm tall, and the widest base measures 3.8 cm. This one features simpler, less elaborate details and finishes. However, the size of the pieces and their simple appearance give them an interesting, more primitive and tribal aura. The distinctive feature of this game is the large belly and rounded shape of the rooks, represented by Hanuman, the monkey king. Their shape gives them almost a Buddhist appearance.
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Balinese Indonesian chess set
An Indonesian chess set with striking protruding finishes, the photo serie consists mainly of close-ups to show the workmanship on the pieces. The set is placed on a foldable board with foldable legs. The pieces can be stored in the board, which doubles as a storage box. The table measures 51 x 51 cm and when its legs are unfolded it measures 19 cm in height. The king is 14 cm high and the pawns are 7.5 cm high. Note the remarkable details of the pieces, as well as the appearance of the Champaca wood and its subtle color nuances.
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Philippines
Ifugao vs Bontac tribal chess set by Emiliano Blass
To this day, chess sets are carved at the rice terraces of Banaue, Philippines. However, very few can match the quality of the sets made in the 20th century by Emiliano Blass. Unfortunately he passed away in 2014, but left behind some of the most impressive tribal sets ever made. I am very grateful that I could acquire a set and learn more about his work through a family member, who was able to identify the set in this post as an original Blass.
The Ifugao village of Batad sits among the rice terraces near Banaue. Built by hand 2,000 years ago, the Ifugao refer to the terraces as “stairways to heaven”. Batad Pension and Restaurant is located on the Chungchung hillside. It provides a stunning view of the rice terraces that lay beyond. Originally a souvenir shop, it was established by Emiliano Blas, the first wood carver in Batad, and his wife Mary in 1998. When the building still housed the souvenir shop, Emiliano could often be found outside, carving a Bulul (Ifugao rice god) or working on one of his characteristic chess sets.
Blass’ sets are recognisable by the individuality of every piece. His view was that the pawns should have different faces because they all represent a different person. He used Kamagong hardwood for both sides. The dark pieces are made of pure black or a mix of black and brown. The light side is made of the brown sapwood “sangilu”. The board is made of Kamagong and Nara wood. Due to the attention to detail, Blass would only produce around three of these chess sets per year. If you have seen similar sets before you may notice something unusual among the dark pieces in this set.
© Bram Ueffing
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Jaques inspired staunton set from the Philippines
A Jaques inspired staunton set from the Philippines, kings at 86mm. The wood grain of the Kamagong is stunning. I am fairly confident that the light pieces are weighted – they come in at the same weight as their Kamagong counterparts. From the bottom of the pieces I can see and feel that there are holes underneath the felt to fit the weights. These are not present with the dark pieces
© Bram Ueffing
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Philippine Staunton chess set
A magnificent Philippine Staunton chess set. Probably from the 1970s – 1980s. This one is much finer and more beautiful than those usually found. The pieces are carved in the classic Philippine style with kamagong wood for the black piece, but with certain nuances that give them additional elegance and charm. The pieces are displayed on a Britannic composite wooden board with a reddish brown color and floral motifs. The king measures 11.3 cm. The board measures 46.3 x 46.3 x 2.8 cm.
The pieces feature some very elegant and interesting nuances. They are slender and elegant, with triple collars on the king, queen, and bishops. The king’s cross is not a classic Philippine rosary cross but a 6 edges cross. The bishops are magnificent, with a very modern and original shape. The black pieces are made of kamagong wood
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Vietnam
Vietnamese chess set made from buffalo and zebu horn
A Vietnamese chess set with large horn pieces. The pieces rest on a board with obsidian and quartz squares. The king measures 12 cm with a base of 3.2 cm.
Many horns must have been used to create the set given its size. The set was carved in Vietnam and was brought to France in the 1970s according to the previous owner. The pieces are assembled from individually carved pieces that are then fitted together. The materials used give this game a very striking and unusual appearance. It is an atypical piece with an uncommon and exotic look and design.
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South Asia
Indonesian chess set with Tampak Siring pedestal base
Indonesian chess set with Tampak Siring pedestal base
A magnificent Indonesian chess set from Tampak Siring on the island of Bali, Indonesia, made by the sculptor Mokirab.
The pedestal board is signed with the artist’s name and the object’s provenance; the signature is also present on one of the pieces.
This item was hand-carved from Champaca wood, a precious and exotic wood.
This distinctive dark wood with reddish highlights originates from the Indomalayan ecozone.
The game table measures 45.7 x 45.7 x 15 cm.
The king in the set measures 12 cm.
The finishing on the pieces is exceptionally refined; I have rarely seen Indonesian pieces this beautiful. They feature many polished surfaces and wood curves that are quite unusual for a Balinese set. As these sets are generally made up of a multitude of protruding details.
The originality of this set also lies in the knights, which are depicted as highly detailed horses with polished bodies. This is rare for an Indonesian set, in which horses are not usually found and where the knights are ordinarily represented by Garuda eagles.
Bali is the island of the gods in Indonesia; craftsmanship there is rooted in religious practice and an idol cult blending Hinduism and Buddhism.
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India
Indian chess set
The pieces were carved in India and are finely made. They are slender and decorated with pierced spheres and fluted collars. The pieces seem to have been made in the second half of the 20th century. The king is 3.7 inches tall with a base measuring 1.4 inches. The pieces are screwed into the bases, which are carved with spirals to hold them in place. The bases are felted. I do not think the board is original, however it goes really well with these pieces in my opinion. Exquisitely crafted game, made by talented Indian artisans.
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Large Indian chess set made of sandalwood – Rajasthan
An Indian chess set made of sandalwood. The pieces were carved in Rajasthan with a Maharaja theme. The king is 12.4 cm high with a base of 5.8 cm. This model features pieces that are thicker and more intricately crafted than those of this style usually found. All the pieces have nice finishes, even the pawns.
The pieces are depicted on various mounts, including elephants, camels, and horses. The pawns are small figures armed with swords in characteristic poses, as if they were ready to strike.
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Indian chess set made of sandalwood
Another Indian chess set made of sandalwood, a beautiful essence of wood with a very pleasant scent. The pieces were carved in Rajasthan on the theme of the Maharaja’s hunts. They are stored in a velvet case with three metal clasps. The king is 12.2 cm high with a base of 5 cm. The case measures 46.8 x 26.8 x 6.8 cm.
The pieces are depicted on various mounts, including elephants, camels, and horses, accompanying the king on his hunt. The pawns are small figures carrying trays for the hunting game. The Maharaja’s hunt is a recurring artistic theme in the Rajasthan region. It is an emblematic theme of what is known as exoticism in the West.