Chess set - Wood
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Description from the seller
Makonde chess set from the 1960s, hand-carved in wood.
The chess set was manufactured by the Makonde tribe from the southwest of Tanzania and the north of Mozambique. Unique antiquities, the board and the pieces were made from African ebony and rosewood.
Period: early 1960s.
Condition:
- all pieces are in excellent condition.
- the game board is in good condition (normal wear due to age and use) and shows a joint gap (about ten centimeters) due to the wood contracting over time (see photos).
Description of the playing pieces:
- the king wears a tribal African hat
- the queen, representative of women, carries a water pot on her head (rural African custom).
- the knight is depicted in the style of a giraffe (horses were unknown to the tribe because they cannot survive in this part of Africa due to the tsetse fly).
- the rook is represented in the shape of a granary giraffe.
- the bishop wears the traditional episcopal mitre.
- the pawn is carved in the style of an ordinary member of the Makonde tribe.
Board dimensions:
- diameter: 34 cm
- height: 3 cm
Piece dimensions:
- height: from 6.5 cm (pawns) to 8.5 cm (king).
- diameter: ± 2 cm.
Weight: 1.500 kg
Total package weight: 2 kg
Makonde chess set from the 1960s, hand-carved in wood.
The chess set was manufactured by the Makonde tribe from the southwest of Tanzania and the north of Mozambique. Unique antiquities, the board and the pieces were made from African ebony and rosewood.
Period: early 1960s.
Condition:
- all pieces are in excellent condition.
- the game board is in good condition (normal wear due to age and use) and shows a joint gap (about ten centimeters) due to the wood contracting over time (see photos).
Description of the playing pieces:
- the king wears a tribal African hat
- the queen, representative of women, carries a water pot on her head (rural African custom).
- the knight is depicted in the style of a giraffe (horses were unknown to the tribe because they cannot survive in this part of Africa due to the tsetse fly).
- the rook is represented in the shape of a granary giraffe.
- the bishop wears the traditional episcopal mitre.
- the pawn is carved in the style of an ordinary member of the Makonde tribe.
Board dimensions:
- diameter: 34 cm
- height: 3 cm
Piece dimensions:
- height: from 6.5 cm (pawns) to 8.5 cm (king).
- diameter: ± 2 cm.
Weight: 1.500 kg
Total package weight: 2 kg
Details
Era
1900-2000
Number of objects
33
Material
Wood
Country of origin
Tanzania
Condition
Very good
Height
6.5 cm
Width
2 cm
Estimated period
1950-1960
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