original chess set

Carved from local cempaka wood, each detail of this chess set by Ketut Sandi complements the intricacy of the game. The pieces represent figures and deities of the sea, alluring in their finned tails and enduring expressions. Stylized fish legs support the table, its checkerboard surrounded by meticulous flourishes, sure to enhance the drama of your next intensely contested match. The chessboard folds easily for storage and travel.

Like pre-Hispanic warriors, rustic figures do battle atop a pyramid. This wonderful creation is the work of Armando Ramírez. Queens are fashioned of screws and bearings, kings are cogwheels and metal scraps, while sparkplugs and other castoffs find a new life as sculpture. Combining art and function, Ramírez creates each piece from discarded automobile parts.

The imaginative mind of Armando Ramirez transforms scrap metal into a sleek, black and silver chess set. Ramirez collects the leftover metal pieces off a die machine and shapes them into the pawns, horses, and parts of the kings, which also feature cogs from a car's electrical system. The queens are made from screws, auto part cogs and bearings. The bishops are shaped from spark plugs and the towers from cogwheels. The board is made from a metal sheet and features ornate iron wires and bendix caps taken from a car.

Please note it is the artist's intention not to give his sculptures a fine polished finish, therefore smudges and scratches may be present. The finish can vary from matte to shiny, as each chess set is a unique piece of handcrafted art.

Backgammon may be the world's oldest board game. Invented in Mesopotamia, there is evidence of it being played in ancient Egypt, Rome, China, Japan, and England. Over the millennia it evolved into today's simple but multilayered game of tiles and strategy. Made by artisans in Lebanon, this game board is handcrafted using hundreds of tiny pieces--called tesserae--of inlaid walnut, olive, lemon, apricot, and rosewood. As each piece is handcrafted, exact colors and patterns of the inlay may vary. Can also play chess and checkers on the reverse of the folding case. Backgammon and checker pieces included.

Providing a leisurely challenge, this chess set from India carries a regal vibe. Gulam Rasool works with black and white marble to diligently hand-carve each individual piece, laying within the polyester velvet lining of the cherry red storage box. The box's bottom panel lift up to reveal a removable marble chess board, making for the perfect home set and travel accessory.

Gray tones lend an inviting air of mystery to this handcrafted chess set. The game employs marble's power to intensify the mental battles to be waged. The combatants line up, patiently prepared for the heated climax when one of the competitors first announces, "Check." The Sierra Family infuses a classic game with a touch of Mexican artistry.

As each piece is sculpted individually with natural stones, there may exist slight variations in the color and grain pattern of the stone. The dimension of the pieces may also vary slightly, up to 1 in (2.5 cm).

The essential contrast of black and white sparks the elegant ambiance of this chess set. White onyx and black marble make a polished expression of leisured dignity, as hand-carved pieces strike poses befitting of such a refined mental exercise. An exceptional gift for the chess aficionado, this set, handmade by the Sierra Family, ranks among our finest.

As each piece is sculpted individually with natural stones, there may exist slight variations in the color and grain pattern of the stone. The dimension of the pieces may also vary slightly, up to +/- 1/8 in (+/-2.5 mm).

Black and white define a clear-cut triumph as opponents take to the chessboard. The Sierra family crafts the chess set from natural onyx and marble, polished to perfection.

Because each piece is sculpted individually, there may be slight variations in the color and pattern of the stone.

Starkly contrasting colors reflect the seriousness of the contests played on this handcrafted chess set. A sophisticated combination of gray and black marble makes an elegant design. Carefully crafted by the Sierra family, this handsome game set typifies Mexican artistry.

Have a battle of wits with this chess set from Mexico. The talented artisans of the Sierra Family create this chess set; the pieces are diligently carved by hand from brown and black marble, while the board features alternating squares of the contrasting hues.

Transforming stone into beautiful works of art, the Sierra Family of Mexico proudly presents this chess set. The talented artisans work with black and grey marble and creamy white onyx to create this striking and sophisticated chess set.

Nine adinkra symbols that convey West Africa's collective wisdom adorn the lid of this intriguing game of oware. It opens to reveal the playing field of twelve depressions. Oware is a game of skill and strategy designed for two players, challenging mental agility and alertness. The objective can be briefly described as "counting and capturing beads" and there are no chance factors involved. A player's strategy entirely depends upon reasoning and counting abilities. Because of this, aware has been used successfully throughout Africa for teaching children basic numbers and arithmetic.

Oware is one of the oldest games in the world. The earliest records describing the game were found in Arab religious texts dating to the Middle Ages, suggesting the game originated in the Middle East and spread from there to Africa, then to Asia with Arab traders, and to the Caribbean around 1640 via the African slave trade. Other experts place its origins in Central Africa; the Masai people state that oware was invented by Sindillo, the son of the first man, Maitoumbe, and was originally called geshe.

In Arab countries, the most common name for this game is mancala, an Arabic word meaning "to move." In some West African countries the depressions in the board are referred to as warri or wwari, which means "houses," thus the name owari. In Nigeria it is known as adi, which is also the name of the seeds used to play it; and in South Africa it is called ohoro. With different and exotic names such as congklak, dakon, aggalacang, and nogarata, it has also been played in Asia long before the Portuguese rounded the southern tip of Africa.

Today, oware represents the diversity of Africa, as some version of it is played in nearly every country on the continent. Legend relates that Shyaam aMbul aNgoong, founder of the Kuba kingdom of Central Africa, taught the game to his people to encourage foresight and calculation.

The set includes 42 beads and a detailed playing manual.