Identify chess set

Can someone help me identify this chess set? It belonged to my friends grandfather and he has had it at least 20 years. 

It would be a great help if you indicate the material of the figures and box.

Do not get a good idea of figures on first foto.

But…

Take a look at the last foto

The figure at right has a white race sort of angel face, so the figures are not Oriental.

The figure at left seems to represent wolf (American coyote). That is a typical American toten with a wolf face.

The naterial seem to be stone. . . "jade" or "obsidiana" typical o the Mexican country or South of USA.

With no more "parameters" I would bet for Mexican

I dunno, I think it has an oriental flavour  as  the hats of the kings  are in the Coronet style , worn by emperors  or military officials of the Han Dynasty.

The box is clearly a later addition, hard to say when but the lock style may give some indication or even have a makers mark engraved upon it.

Looks Oriental to me as well.

It's not an uncommon older style and, yes, they are supposed to be Chinese.  I mainly play Chinese chess (Xiangqi) and encounter these older Chinese-themed international chess sets on eBay while searching for a different game entirely.  Beyond that, I unfortunately can't tell you much, but I'll agree with the above in that the box is very likely a later addition.

Could you, Soso777, be more explicit about the figures material? Are they painted?

Those that favor the Chinese origin, how do you explain the ears (and the face) of the figure most to the left of the bottom foto.

Yes, this experience is incredibly annoying.

Supposed to look Chinese -- not necessarily of Chinese origin. 

Hope I get right the pasting of the figure. (Imageshack)

I took this picture from Google. As the note said it is a tipical Mexican design made out of onix. Today production is aimed to touris and and collectors.

Note, in the second from left figure, the "ears" and "wolf like" face I mentinoned above.

P.D. Soso, there is quite a Mexican and Chinese colony in LA. Take a look at their stores and shops.

[IMG] http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/4292/mexicanbis.jpg[/IMG]

Note the similarity of the rooks in this Chinese-styled set:

http://www.ymimports.com/p-293-eight-immortals-international-chess-set.aspx

I am 100% certain that it is supposed to look Chinese.  How would you explain the obviously Oriental castles being used as rooks in a traditional Mexican set?

Regarding Mexican stone sets: They are almost always soapstone, despite what the vendor says--and the vendor may say anything in my experience.

This comes fom a gemologist I traveled a bit with in Mexico. He said all the sets he saw were soapstone.

HEATHER

My friend. . . the set you show is a high cost one that cannot compare wiyh the one we area dealing with.

By the way. Rooks (or towers) will look much the same in different cultures except Hindu where they prefer to use an elepahnt.

GOLDENDOG

Soapstone and onix (jade, opal, etc.) are quite different stones which you can diferentiate by scratching, "feeling" the weight or looking against the light. . . not to say about the "veins". . . but this is getting deep into Geology.

Hey i have a set VERY simalar to this set. I have found that your set and my set were created by the same maker due to the design of the set and casing concerning the corner gilding and the compartments that the peices fit in. The set that you have is built by a very durable wood. What i can say for cirtain is that these sets are made in the early 1900's ill leave another message giving more information

alright i did a little more research it might be older than the 1900's but heres another set by the same maker on ebay you might be just a bit surprised on how much these sets are worth check out this link    http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CHESS-BACKGAMMON-SET-WITH-CHINESE-PIECES-AMAZING-DETAIL-PRICE-TO-SELL-/190594699119?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c60544f6f