I acquired this horn set with 8.5cms king by offering an exchange collectable in a private transaction. This type of item or ‘pet’ set does not mean the set is worth any significant sum of money, however I am very fond of it and have owned it for almost 14 years. The horn material is very tactile in the hand plus as tough as concrete, with the solid pieces having a nice weight about them.
I have some 4 sets made of horn in my collection, and I like the material – my guess is that this set comes from the tribal stable and is probably mid 20th century, there are some well turned sets out there but this set is one not of the finest quality………….but most importantly I like it. The value or possible value is of no importance to me, as it is a ‘keeper’ set. The ancient Egyptians had the right idea – stick everything in your tomb thus no worries about parting with your collectables!!
As a collector I place a huge importance on how the chessmen feel in my hand plus in some cases it outweighs
the quality or beauty of the workmanship. My personal opinion, of course.
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