Militibus ex Antiquis Ruthenorum (Old Russian Warriors), 32 heavily-weighted chessmen without board, wood, white v. red, Soviet (post Revolution era), circa 1920 – 1930 Height: King 10cm, weight 55g, base width 3.8cm, Queen 9.2cm, Bishop 9cm, Knights 8/7.5cm, Rook 5.8cm, Pawn 5.8cm. W: red felt bases B: black felt bases.
An extremely rare set of Soviet chessmen (most probably hand-turned for personal use or as a gift, perhaps). It came to me in pretty poor condition; two of the Knights muzzles have been repaired and two Bishop mitres and five pawn caps (I’ve lost track of which pawns) have been replaced. There is also a certain amount of ‘head-bowing,’ also called stooping or leaning amongst the pieces, which adds overall character, therefore, it has been left as is. A few ‘battle-scars’ have also been left here and there for the same reason. So please examine the photos carefully.
The pieces are UV resistant and ideal for display, as well as casual play.
Both Kings carry the hand-painted iridescent gold signature of the artist on their felt bases.
Ref code MAR7