Secumbdum Bakii (Baku the Second); 32 wooden chessmen without board, light brown v. deep red, Soviet (post Stalin Era), circa 1950-1965.
Height: King 11.5 cm, wt 30g, base width 3.7cm, Queen 9.2cm wt 27g, Bishop 9cm, Knight 8cm, Rook 6.7cm, Pawn 5.7cm; W: antiqued light yellow felt bases B: same
Quite simply, and if I do say so myself, a wonderful example of the classic Soviet ‘Baku’ series of tournament chessmen. The unctuous layers of black lead paint and lacquer have been painstakingly removed (believe me!), exposing the true beauty of the wood grain beneath. A modern take on an iconic set – respectfully keeping the original flavour of the era in mind, of course! The pieces are UV resistant and ideal for display as well as casual/blitz play. Both kings carry the hand-painted iridescent ‘power’ signature of the artist on their bases.
Ref code SB20