Chess set - Wood

Chinese Chess Set – Carved Wooden Folding Box with Ceramic Tile Board and Hand-Painted Wooden Figures – China – Second Half of the 20th Century

Vintage Export Chess Set

Figural chess sets in Chinese court dress were made in large numbers in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in the decades after the Second World War, mainly for export to Europe and North America. They combine the Western game with Chinese decorative traditions: relief-carved wooden cases, engraved brass mounts, and pieces made as emperors, empresses, scholars, and officials, with pagoda towers in place of rooks. Many of these sets have cast resin or soapstone pieces. Sets with hand-carved, hand-painted wooden pieces, like this one, are less common.

The set comes in a folding wooden case that opens out to form the board and closes into a box. The frame around the playing surface is relief-carved with dragons, a phoenix, and auspicious cloud motifs. The outer sides are carved with stylised landscape scenes. The board has 64 inset squares. The light squares are glazed ceramic tiles, each printed and coloured with a different scene of figures, animals, flowers, or landscapes and a short Chinese inscription. They alternate with polished black squares. Two sliding drawers with brass knobs hold the pieces. The drawers are lined with red felt and fitted with elastic retaining bands.

The 32 pieces are carved from wood and painted by hand as figures of the Chinese imperial court. The light side has yellow bases and bright colours: red, green, white, and orange. The dark side has black bases and deeper tones: oxblood, bottle green, and black. The kings and queens are carved as emperor and empress, the bishops as bearded scholars, the knights as stylised dragon-horses, and the rooks as tiered pagoda towers. Because each piece was carved and painted by hand, no two are exactly alike.

Folding wooden case, relief-carved with dragon, phoenix, and cloud decoration
Board approximately 48 x 48 cm when open
Case approximately 48 x 24 x 12.5 cm when closed
64 inset squares; light squares of glazed ceramic tile with printed and coloured scenes and Chinese inscriptions
Engraved brass corner mounts, brass hinges, and brass drawer knobs
Two drawers lined with red felt, with elastic retaining bands
32 hand-carved and hand-painted wooden figural pieces, complete

Condition is Good, consistent with age and use. The case is structurally sound and the carving is crisp throughout. There are light surface scratches and minor wear. The two halves of the case close with a slight offset. The brass mounts have an even patina. All 64 squares are present and firmly seated. The pieces show light paint wear at the edges and bases, as expected on hand-painted wood, with no breaks or losses. The felt lining and retaining bands are in good condition. A complete and decorative set, ready for display or play.

Ships from Germany. Carefully packed in a sturdy carton with protective wrapping; pieces wrapped individually.