This appears to be a unique chess set. Anyone seen this pattern before ?

It's hand carved of some rare wood.  The pieces are exquisitively detailed.  It originally belonged to a chess champion of the 60's and I was told that it is absolutely unique.  Thought I would ask here. 

Anyone seen a set with this pattern before ?

Welcome any comments, or insight. 

Here is a close up of the black bishop.  Ill also get a picture of the table that was made along with the set.

The table needs some tlc but would be a stately play surface once spruced up.

Here is the white pawn.  His face doesn't look like the others, nor does his facial hair.  Each pawn has a different expression, and their tunics are distinct from one another.

Hi there,

could you tell me how to post ? I would like to share my chess set but I dont know how...

Thanks

That is awesome... where is it located?

Hi Franquis, thanks for your comment.  The set is in the Los Angeles area.  I'm going to take more pictures and maybe do a whole review if people are interested. 

Hi Giampo, sorry I am a newb here as well but I believe you can get answers to that at the Help & Support forum, thanks for your post!

It's so detailed Very nice. Tell us more it looks older than 1960s to me.

I think I speak for many of us here when I say I'd love to see more of the set. :)

It looks so 20s what I mean is Gothic revival it's really something the facial character wow!

Definitely show us more and it would be fascinating to know of it's origin

Watching these photos I notice some resemblance with the Terracotta Army: similar pieces with individual traits, a static appearance of the figures, dull colours.

If my guess is right and the artist did draw some inspiration from the Terracotta Army, it would put the creation date of the pieces after 1974. Needless to say that I might be totally wrong, but the connection somewhat struck me.

Allright then: Summon the black pawn

Size comparison with the 1.5" pawn

The armor detailed got me thinking about the origin of the artist's depiction, and you're absolutely right Schachmonkey, it does appear to depict a gothic revival full plate suit.  One thing I keyed on was the scale armor or lamellar armor faulds on the black pawn, apparently a hallmark of that fighting era.  Thanks for that insight and here is more on the topic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_armour

Each black pawn has two plate heralds, the back being unique from the front.  I was stunned to discover that no two heralds are alike out of the whole set.

 The "epaulet" design is also unique for every black pawn.  Someone help me with that because I have a feeling that its not an epaulet but I do recall seeing that on medival armor suits, something intended to deflect sword strikes and the like. 

The word you're looking for is "pauldron"

(loosely translated, "big shoulder"; whereas an epaulet is a  "little shoulder" and is just decorative)

Hello and thanks for your comment Tatzelwurm.  That would have been an interesting source of inspiration indeed.  Looking at the clay soldiers I see a look of resignation that does appear similar.  One thing that is hard to appreciate is the deep caramel hue of the 'white' pieces.  I've already been told that my pictures are overexposed but i'll be getting some better pictures soon.  Maybe this one here can help show the richness of that color on the white side:

Pauldrons they are, thanks nartreb!

Woah!!! Way too awesome!

I got an interesting suggestion that the Isle of Lewis chess set might be an inspiration for the set.  

See, Isle of Lewis Chess set on Wikipedia.

What do people here think ?  I'll be working on pictures of a different piece, but I welcome any feedback on that idea.

Eh, I wouldn't try too hard to draw a direct line from the Lewis set.  The royals are standing, the arms & armor are from another era, the material is different, the size... etc etc.    The idea of chessmen as lifelike figures is one that keeps resurfacing all over the place.

This one looks a bit like the 1950s "renaissance" set or the similar 1960s "King Arthur" sets - but again, a whole bunch of details are different.

      It seems to resemble E.S.Lowe's Renassance Set of the 60's + 70's.  Granted a little more unique. Maybe the template for the Renassance set           http://www.eldrbarry.net/hatr/chess/mychess.htm