Looking around online for hours I see some similarities with some old Lardy sets. I have found pretty similar Lardy rooks and kings. I have yet to find a bishop with features that exaggerated. I did find one old Lardy knight that had similarities, but definitely not identical. Could this be a more modern copy(ish)? There is some finish de-lamination on some of the white pieces that helped me believe they were old.
Help Identifying Unusual Vintage Wood Chess Pieces
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I think they could be Filipino. There is a set pattern in the Philipines that is most common there, these are not that pattern. However, the knight style reminds me of some other Filipino sets and the woods look like narra (white) and kamagong (black), which are the expected woods for that country.
Not Lardy and I seriously doubt French IMO, although they may have been inspired by French sets.
beachero,
Thanks for the info. I agree the kamagong looks like a pretty good match for these pieces, but if anything that gives me more questions because after hours of searching the web for every Filipino chess set I could find I don't see anything remotely like my set. Even the carving and finishing quality seems very different, not just the pattern.
Is it possible this is from a small batch maker? I had thought that 99% of chess sets out there were from large companies.
axeman1984 wrote:
beachero,
Thanks for the info. I agree the kamagong looks like a pretty good match for these pieces, but if anything that gives me more questions because after hours of searching the web for every Filipino chess set I could find I don't see anything remotely like my set. Even the carving and finishing quality seems very different, not just the pattern.
Is it possible this is from a small batch maker? I had thought that 99% of chess sets out there were from large companies.
See knights in post #11. I am not saying this set is a match, but your knight reminds me of some sets from the Philippines I have seen. https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/the-pieces-of-the-1992-manila-olympiad
beachero wrote:
See knights in post #11. I am not saying this set is a match, but your knight reminds me of some sets from the Philippines I have seen. https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/the-pieces-of-the-1992-manila-olympiad
That is actually a really close match to my knight! I The head carving is basically identical, and the color and finish look the same as well. I would think mine has to be made by the same maker. I wish I could find more information, but that and the wood are enough to convince me you are right about this set being from the Philippines.
Knight looks pretty similar to this one - https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/identifying-drueke-chess-sets-and-boards#comment-64835923
Hi!
I just purchased a set of chess pieces on ebay that look really unique. The seller had very little info, just that they were 70s solid wood and 3.75'' tall king.
They appear to me to be boxwood and rosewood (although I can't tell the species). The king has an usual large cross, the bishop has a very exaggerated swoop to the top, but most noticeably the knight is unlike any I have seen. Very angular and vague carving and with an extreme fin shaped crest.
Any help identifying the design, maker, or wood would be greatly appreciated!