Meenakari Metal Chess Set

The Pieces Are an Army, Not the Usual Chess Shapes

Instead of the standard turned pieces, this set is cast as the original Indian army the game came from. Ambari elephants carrying their howdahs, camels, horses and foot soldiers, each modelled as a figure rather than a symbol, so the board reads as two facing forces.

The enamel is meenakari in deep red and blue, applied by hand across every piece. On something this small it means each elephant and camel is coloured individually, which is where most of the work in this set goes.

What comes with it

A matching metal board and a velvet storage box, so the set is complete on arrival and the pieces have somewhere to go between games.

Specifications

• Material: Metal with meenakari enamel
• King: 8cm height
• Queen: 6.5cm height
• Rooks, bishops, knights: 4.5cm height
• Pawns: 3.5cm height
• Board: 15 x 15 inches, metal
• Includes: Velvet storage box
• Care: Clean with a dry cloth

Collecting and display

It is playable, but most owners leave it set up. On a home office table or a study shelf the board holds its own as a display piece, and the weight of the metal pieces is part of why it feels like an heirloom rather than a game.