Bushmen Khoisan Chess Set

The beautifully designed Khoisan (Bushmen) people chess pieces are cast from polystone and hand-painted by South African artists. The wooden chess board is set in a polystone frame which is decorated with African designs.

This chess gift captures the essence of the San people, one of the oldest tribes in southern Africa.

The themed bushmen chess pieces consist of the following with a dark and light base for opposing sides:

• The king - hunter
• The queen - maiden
• The knight – mother and child
• The bishop – water gatherer
• The rook/castle - child
• The pawn - meerkat

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 molds that are used for the chess pieces. The molds 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 created 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 (including board):

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.

Shipping Information

All Gala Star products are manufactured in South Africa and therefore shipping takes some time and incurs some costs. Shipping costs to the USA, UK, and Europe from South Africa vary in terms of time and cost.

For Kumbula iAfrica (Gala Star) orders under $150, please note that shipping is still to be added to your order.

We are currently offering free shipping on orders over $150 using EMS but upon order will also offer a shipping upgrade for speedier and more accurate shipping times for orders over $150.

Please refer to our shipping policies page for further details.

Sales tax, VAT, and customs duty

Please note that for all our customers outside of USA and outside South Africa, we do not calculate sales tax, VAT, import or customs duties and these may be due upon the product arriving at your customs office.

For our South African customers, please note that all prices including shipping are quoted excluding VAT (15%) which will be added to the price at checkout. Gala Star is a registered VAT vendor in South Africa.

For our USA customers, we will add any sales tax to your orders where we qualify for Sales Tax registration.

THE STORY BEHIND THIS CHESS SET

Since the dawn of Africa the aboriginal Bushmen, also known as the San people, have been roaming the wild as peaceful nomads. They now predominantly reside in the harsh, yet beautiful Kalahari Desert.

Despite the desolate landscape making survival extremely difficult, they have perfected hunting and survival in these harsh conditions to the point of an art form. They live completely off the land; hunting, gathering and creating their garments out of animal skins, plants and whatever nature provides.

The women skilfully craft jewellery and clothing to adorn themselves and their children, using natural materials found around them. They painstakingly create beads and straps for their vibrantly coloured necklaces and bracelets.

The Bushmen live together as one big family unit. Their value system is unaffected by Western Influences or any religious beliefs. Believing in the spirit of Ubuntu (the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity) the Bushman share everything with everyone. They care for other children as much as their own.

With the Bushmen themed chess set, we aimed to capture the essence of the Bushmen and sculpt it into authentic art pieces.

All the individual chess pieces have been hand-crafted by our proud , skilled artists and thereafter are used to create custom designed moulds.

The King Chess Piece:

The Men of the tribe, are the  hunters and they are  responsible for the survival of the group. With their keen tracking skills and extensive lore, their days are spent deciphering the feint tracks large herbivores like the Kudu, Gemsbok and smaller game such as the springbok leave. Using stealth to creep up to their prey and uncanny skills with poison tipped arrows and bows, the hunters are essential in providing meat for the tribe.   Losing them on the chessboard is game over.

The Queen Chess Piece:

The Maiden of the Kalahari represents the queen chess pieces who is responsible for keeping the home-front safe and secure from predators. With her wisdom and knowledge of natural medicines she makes sure that the tribe is healthy. On the chess board the queen must use her skills to quickly and efficiently dispatch any dangers to the tribe.

The Rook Chess Piece:

The Bushman Child born and raised in the Kalahari looking around curiously. They are taught to hunt and gather with their elders from a young age; skills necessary for the tribe to survive. Their age won’t matter as they hunt down the pieces on your chess board.

The Bishop Chess Piece:

In the Bushman culture the water gatherer plays a critical role in the survival of the tribe, since water is such a scare commodity in the desert, without it, everyone will perish. On the chess board the bishop with his far reaching diagonal attacks is a force to be reckoned with, beware of the water gatherer at your peril.

The Knight Chess Piece:

Family is very important to the Bushman which is epitomised in the relationship between the mothers and their children. We therefore tried to capture this special bond with the Bushman mother nurturing her child as the Knight piece in this chess set.

The Pawn Chess Piece:

The alert Meerkat is characterized as a brave, clever and extremely social animal. As soon as danger passes their watchful eyes, they will attack in their masses like the pawns on your chess board.

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.