Chess table – Christians vs. Muslims theme

A large hand-carved wooden set, entirely crafted from olive wood, on a marquetry table with a carved marble checkerboard.

The table measures 54 cm high and 55.55 x 55.5 cm wide. The squares on the marble board are 6 cm each.

The king measures 14.5 cm, with a 4.3 cm base.

The set was designed around El Cid and the history of the clashes in Spain between Muslim Moors and Christians. The light pieces represent Christian Spaniards and the dark pieces represent the Muslim Moors.

What stands out about this set is the entirely handcrafted, hand-carved nature of the pieces: no part of them is turned; they are all fully carved from A to Z.

Then there is the subtle shape of the wooden frame and the table base, with magnificent decorative grooves along the top of the frame, stepped sizing on the edges that adds depth, a Medici-style column, and a base adorned with fluting.

A refined chess table, beautifully crafted furniture. It consists of a large marquetry board on a folding wooden base. And it comes with two folding stools with frilly cushions. Inside the table is a board to play backgammon. I placed an Italfama Napoleon set of pieces on the table; it is not the initial model with which the table was sold but the original set of piece was a Italfama set, only a different model.

I don’t know if the table and stools were marketed by Italfama, but I believe they were built in Italy. The table is 74 cm high, the board is 63 x 63 cm wide. The stools are 70 x 59 cm. The king of this set measures 11.6 cm with a base of 3.1 cm. The pawns measure 9.3 cm.

A handcrafted Tuareg chess table, designed and made in Niger. It features pieces that fit into the table’s leg and two stools. The set is easily disassembled; the table is made of three interlocking parts. The board is covered with a glass panel. The table and stools are made of wood covered with a thin layer of leather, as are the chess pieces.

The table measures 63 cm high, the stools 43 cm high, and the game board 50 x 50 cm. The item is not only decorative; the table’s dimensions allow for comfortable chess play. The king of the chess set measures 8 cm high. African chess tables are uncommon, this is a pretty interesting set.

A real curiosity, this chess table is the product of an Italian-Swiss collaboration. The table was carved in Italy, it was made with walnut wood in the Louis XV style with magnificent decorations on the edges of its rectangular top. It features a still-functional internal music box installed by Reuge, the Swiss watchmaking brand from Sainte Sophie in the canton of Vaud. The music box is activated when the table is opened and plays the piece “The Impossible Dream” by the American composer Mitch Leigh. Beneath the table, a metal wheel allows the music box to be recharged by turning it.

This music was composed for the 1965 musical “Man of La Mancha” and also featured in the film of the same name, released in 1972. These work are adaptations of Cervantes and his book Don Quixote. The table can presumably be dated in the 1970s.

It measures 50 x 45.5 x 36 cm and has a key to lock it. The table legs can be unscrewed. The chess pieces are carved in the Staunton style from boxwood. The king measures 7.9 cm and the pawns 3.8 cm.

An Italian Italfama chess table made of oak wood. The table is imposing with a traditional rustic appearance. It can be disassembled, and the board can rotate on its base to orient it in the desired direction. The pieces were cast in brass before being fixed to wooden bases. They feature silver and gold patinas and are large.

They were designed on the theme of Napoleon I, emperor of France, his wife Josephine, and his famous armies. Under the pieces are red felts with the Italfama brand logo. The table measures 55 x 51 x 51 cm. The king measures 11.5 cm with a 3 cm base, and the pawns measure 9 cm. The whole set weighs 10.6 kg. Inside the table is a board for playing backgammon.

An Italian Nigri chess table with a Napoleon theme. Composed of 32 resin pieces and a wooden table with a Sacile Onyx board. The pieces are handcrafted and painted. They were produced in the province of Lucca. The Nigri signature is present on the pieces and on the back of the Onyx board, a label indicating that the table was made from authentic Onyx from the province of Sacile in Pordenone.

This is a rather imposing Napoleon set, created on the theme of the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon Bonaparte acts as the king, Marianne, symbol of the French Republic, as the queen, and the remaining pieces represent officers and elements of the French army. The table measures 64 x 54 x 54 cm. The king measures 14 cm and its base is 4.4 cm wide. The pawns are 9.6 cm tall. The pieces are felted.