African Animal Chess Set - Big 5 Busts

Buy this beautiful African animal chess set from Amazing Africa Gifts featuring hand-painted animal chess pieces and an intricately designed chess board, which makes for the perfect gift. The animal chess pieces are crafted from polystone. This piece of animal art makes the perfect gift, piece of decor or collectable for all who love African wildlife. The set features the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant) and baboon playing pieces. 

The themed chess pieces consist of the big five animals of Africa and baboon busts with a dark and light base for opposing sides:

• The king - lion
• The queen - leopard
• The knight - rhino
• The Bishop - Buffalo
• The rook/castle - elephant
• The pawn - baboon

Amazing Africa Gifts crafting and material details

Both the set’s chess pieces and board frame are cast by hand in polystone (a unique mixture of crushed stone and resin) and painted by hand in incredible detail by our exceptionally talented team of South African artists using high-quality Winsor and Newton oil paints. The wooden chess board itself is also carved by hand, as are the moulds that are used for the chess pieces. The moulds for the pieces in the small set are exactly the same design as in the larger set and are made to scale using 3D printing. The pieces in the smaller set are also cast and painted by hand.

The board squares are hand carved from koto and cherry wood, and then treated in accordance with international import standards and requirements. The board is then set in its polystone frame which boasts a stunning African design.

Each set (board, pieces and frame) takes approximately nine (9) hours to be crafted from start to finish by our extremely skilled and talented artisans and craftspeople, with some time allocated during the process for the paint to dry.

Chess Set Sizes:

Packaging:

We take the utmost care in packing our gorgeous chess sets, such that they are delivered to you safely and in their entirety after the shipping process.

Every individual chess piece is set in their own box-dye cut foam holder, accompanied by extra foam top and bottom covers for the set as a whole. Additionally, the wooden board is wrapped in bubble wrap so that it can absorb any shock while in transit, without sustaining any damage.

The complete set is placed in a sturdy double-walled cardboard box which contains polystyrene packing peanuts which further protect the chess set during shipping. While we take the greatest care to ensure that the set gets to you in one piece, we know that accidents do happen – so, if any pieces arrived damaged, we will replace them entirely at no cost to you.

THE STORY BEHIND THIS CHESS SET

Many don’t know that the animals that make up the “Big 5” were not chosen due to their size but rather due to their ferocity as well as the high degree of danger involved in hunting them. This chess set, based on the majestic “Big 5” is a superior-quality collector’s item and has been sculpted from hand-designed moulds and features the lovingly carved heads of these noble beasts in all their glory.

The King chess piece:

There is no doubt that within Africa, the Lion still reign’s supreme as not only the King of the Jungle, but also the King of the chess board. Notice the majestic mane and the resolute eyes of a hunter at the top of the food chain.

The Queen Chess piece

As anyone that has played chess can attest, the queen chess piece is the most feared. With the ability to traverse across the chess board in a single bound, the Leopardess Queen Chess Piece encapsulates the agility and power of her real world counterpart.

The Knight Chess piece

Known for their indomitable strength, the Rhino/Knight Chess Piece takes no prisoners in this game of strategy and skill. The name Rhinoceros is derived from the Latin, meaning nose horn and speaks to the large horn (which is fundamentally made from the same substance as hair and nails) that adorns its head. With this sculpture of the Rhino Head our chess artists wanted to capture the strong features and immense power of this herbivore. Now you can employ the strength of the Rhino as your Knight Chess piece in this ancient game.

The Bishop Chess piece

The African Buffalo known for its short temper, quick reflexes and mighty horns (called a boss) takes up your standard as the Bishop Chess Piece. This animal, that gores more than 200 people per year in Africa is feared and respected throughout the Savanah. As your bishop it will keep your opponents’ advances in check and will provide you with the perfect mix of defence and attack to advance your chess game.

The Rook/Castle Chess piece

Known for its incredible memory and towering might, the African Elephant is your Castle/Rook and will obliterate your enemies in its path. Elephants live up to 70 years and exhibit tremendous strength. With thick hides, immensely strong trunks and deceptively fast reflexes, no animal in Africa is their equal.

The Pawn Chess piece

The wily baboon is at the forefront of your army. Still found in many cities in Africa, this scavenger/ hunter is a formidable advisory in groups. As your Pawn, the Baboon will lead the attack on your enemies.

FREE SHIPPING FOR USA:

We offer free shipping for USA customers for order over $50. Please note that for customers in other countries shipping will be calculated on checkout. Please refer to our shipping policies page for further details.

SALES TAX, VAT, AND CUSTOMS DUTY

Please note the above price excludes sales tax, VAT or customs or import duties. United States customers will have sales tax added upon checkout where required, and South African clients will have VAT added. For the rest of the world you may incur import duties that are for your account.