A treasure for geniuses - how unique Polish amber chess pieces appeared

 Jewelry, interior accessories, household appliances and even furniture - what was not created from hardened resin. It is quite difficult to impress an experienced connoisseur and collector. And yet, our company succeeded in this - and the article and a large assortment of amber products on yantar.ua web presented to your attention will tell you what was needed for this and what distinguishes domestic elite gifts from carefully selected solar gems.

The homeland of this strategic game is considered to be India. Right there, around the 6th century. to n. e., chaturanga was invented - a space of 8*8 sections, where 4 participants competed, striving to take away the central figure of the enemy. In the VI century, local ambassadors presented a richly decorated board and chips to the Persian shahinshah ("king of kings", that is, the supreme ruler of the entire state) Khosrow, and from that time the chess began its triumphal march on Earth. They were praised by poets (in particular, the author of the famous Shahnami, a poetic history of Iran) and scientists. It is a well-known task where it is proposed to calculate the sum of grains that will end up on the last cell if their number is doubled on each cell. And such things firmly entered the category of "VIP gifts", because they unobtrusively hinted at the considerable intelligence, talent, and insight of the addressee. 

In the 7th century the Arabs got acquainted with the game, along the way transforming its name into chess. In Eastern culture, such leisure was suitable for warriors and leaders - it cultivated patience and foresight. In China, chess was called xiangzi, and in Japan - shogi; the main difference from the Western ones was that the figures did not move along the cells, but along the lines between them, and some also "jumped" over others, as in checkers. In the Byzantine Empire, their counterpart was a patrician with a round playing field. And the Vikings perceived a match of wits as an alternative to today's saga of the 13th century. tells the story of a Scandinavian jarl who ordered the death of a rival after a game.

Chess is first mentioned in European treatises in the 11th century. In addition to the obvious, they were also assigned an allegorical function - the state reflected the state of the game, and the victory personified the just and legal leadership of the monarch. Although entertainment was fought by the church, exposing it as gambling and encouraging vice, soon it became commonplace at noble courts, in the homes of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants. In Russia, the shahs were condemned much more harshly - a layman who resorted to "hidden passion" and "Hellenic demonization" was subjected to penance, and a priest was deprived of his rank. But the forbidden fruit was sweet - excavations in Novgorod revealed up to 40 sets belonging to people of all ranks, from boyars to serfs.

It is no wonder that exclusive hand-made chess pieces were valued very highly. Unfortunately, few rarities have reached us. So, from the Bactrian (a country on the territory of present-day Uzbekistan) collection of the 2nd century. only 2 objects have been preserved - an elephant and a bull made of ivory. A chess piece (in the current interpretation – a king), a vizier (queen), a chariot (boat), an elephant, a rider (horse), and 2 pawns of the 7th century are carved from it. from Afrasiab (Samarkand). In the Muslim set of the X century. tinkling bells are hidden inside the chips, and outside they are painted in red and green.

But extremely detailed and expressive statuettes of the 12th century. from the Isle of Lewis (Scotland) was discovered in a more complete composition - 78 pieces of walrus and whale teeth; however, there is an assumption that the original headset included up to 160 items.

Gradually, the appearance and interpretation of chess pieces changed, becoming schematic, but recognizable, and specific styles were defined. For example, in Germany in the XVII-XIX centuries. the "selenus" direction (in honor of the author of the educational manual, Gustav Selenus) was in demand - luxurious, vertically elongated trinkets with floral motifs and openwork garlands of skulls. In England, "barleycorn" reigned - large products made of mahogany or mammoth tusk, resembling thick ears of corn. The French preferred "Renaissance" (from the sign of the cafe where the most experienced players of Paris gathered) - works of wenge, boxwood, and walnut roots like a magical baroque. And in the middle of the 19th century, before an international tournament, the design was standardized by an artist from Great Britain, Nathaniel Cook - his "Staunton" is still widely used.

Skilled craftsmen are happy to try their hand at making luxurious sets. And here are the most interesting of them:

• "The Pearl Royale" by Australian Colin Burt in white gold, diamonds, sapphires and pearls from the South Seas (New Zealand, Indonesia and the Philippines). He does not sell or exhibit his masterpiece in galleries - but nevertheless, it is estimated at 4 million dollars;
  
• Relatively cheap (28.7 thousand €), but excellent "Medieval Venice Chess Set" in the technique of ancient custom casting. Figures with a height of 10 to 18 cm, you want to look at them for hours, they are so detailed and realistic;
  
• Fans of "Formula-1" will be conquered by "Renault F1 Team Collection", titanium and stainless steel for which were extracted from the engine, suspension and struts of the car that participated in the race. Although it is not a precious metal, you will have to pay up to €40,000;
  
• Sometimes the release of such souvenirs is timed to some event - like the limited "Silver Jubilee" for $77,880. It is dedicated to the 25th (in everyday life – "silver") anniversary of the accession to the throne of Elizabeth II, which was celebrated on May 13, 1977. And for the 250th anniversary of the "Baccarat" brand, the largest crystal manufacturer made handmade chess pieces from dark blue and transparent crystals – you can buy magical products that copy the outlines of their dishes for almost $300,000;
  
• The next set also sparkles and shimmers - but not like glass or rhinestones, but with a teasing diamond shine. It took about 5,000 hours, over 3 kilograms of gold, 9,900 black and white diamonds to create the Royal Diamond Chess Set, and it cost exactly $600,000 to purchase;
  
• The Middle Ages are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for jewelers. For example, the "Carolingians and Moors" set (€90.4 thousand) reminds of the wars between Christians and Saracens in the VIII-XV centuries, and "Carolingi XIV" (almost €107 thousand) and "J. Grahl Chess Set" ($700,000) - about once all-powerful dynasties;
  
• "Art of War" is a combination of European content and Asian form. On a board made of black wood and rhodium (a close "relative" of platinum), written down with the sayings of the ancient general Sun Tzu, there are 32 chips - from an emperor and an empress to slender pagodas. The maximum price at the auction rose to 705,782 thousand euros, but the author himself rejected it, refusing to conclude a contract;
• And the undisputed champion of the rating is the "Jewel Royale Chess Set" for almost 10 million dollars! These are unusual spiral shapes made of gold, platinum, pearls and precious stones. Apparently light, they weigh up to 200 g due to the generous inlay - yes, the king is studded with 73 rubies and 146 diamonds. Only horses have traditional contours, but they also have miniature twisted horns on their heads, like the legendary unicorns.

All of the above causes awe at the skill and imagination of the creator, the variety and cost of materials, and the level of craftsmanship. However, you can only admire the works from afar and in photographs - they are not available for purchase, because they are in private collections or exhibited in museums.

Therefore, if you dream of a non-banal and symbolic surprise, present yourself, friends, colleagues or partners with an authentic Ukrainian masterpiece from Yantar Polissya TM, which combines the strict elegance of outlines and the splendor of decorative ornaments.

For the longest time, the master searched for gems of the right size and shade, because each piece of hardened resin is unique, with its own pattern of inclusions, cracks, and iridescence. It took years to buy premium raw materials from certified and ethical suppliers. And then all elements of the chess set were made from it by hand completely independently - there is nothing in it from faceless factory stamping.

Touching the warm stones and silky wood, feeling with your fingertips the convexity of the finest carving, you involuntarily revere the wealth of imagination, hard work and tenacity of a professional.

And this is how it all happened:

1. First, a sketch was designed - on paper and in a computer program. The design invented "from scratch" impresses with its sophistication and ergonomics;
   
2. Then there was a selection of hardened resin - cabochons (rounded sun gems) from 5 to 20 grams, with impeccable texture and color. And the mass of some precious fireplaces generally reaches 50 g - it was extremely difficult to find such large matte yellow nuggets without the slightest flaw;
3. Accessories were forged from "sterling" silver 925 samples - legs with elegant engraving, rolling strips, numbers and letters for marking, base pins;
   
   
4. Each chip was assembled from 3-5 fragments of hardened resin that perfectly matched the texture. They are strung on supporting metal rods and securely glued together, and have a leather lining to prevent scratching other parts. These are classic amber chess pieces - it is worth buying them as a family heirloom, and directly for intellectual matches;
   
   
5. A box was made from a stabilized oak beam and pull-out boxes with nests for figures, upholstered with soft velvety fabric, were inserted into it. You will immediately see where everything is stored, thanks to the convenient matching handles. And its parameters - 40*40 cm - are optimal for monitoring moves;
   
   
6. The top of the box, aka the playing field, was laid out with solid gem plates using the "Florentine mosaic" technology. They are fitted to each other so closely that they are perceived as a solid monolith. Only the difference in shades – golden-saffron and cognac-crimson – allows you to notice the borders, but no gaps or cracks;
7. The ends and side walls were decorated in the same way. However, here the surface polished to a mirror shine serves as a background for protruding overlays - the carved reliefs look like amazing buds or intricate vines. And under the massive oval cabochons there are special casts (fields) for better adhesion;
8. Corners and ribs were also decorated with three-dimensional strips to withstand the general trend;
9. The final stage is careful grinding and cleaning;
10. An oak box lined with velvet is intended for storage and transportation.
    
    

A wonderful work worthy of becoming the "highlight" of your office, living room, smoking room, library. It will testify to the good taste of its owner, his foresight, respectability, ability. With a useful product, you will forget about boredom and hopelessness, feel peace and calm, relax pleasantly after a long and tiring day.

The game remains popular because it:

• Teaches to analyze one's mistakes and prevent them in the future, to analyze the surrounding situation by points and to extrapolate previous knowledge and experiences to it;
• It helps to avoid tactical miscalculations and to focus on the most important thing, without wasting energy on trifles;
• Develops logical, motivational, strong-willed features of the psyche, planning skills and effective search for answers;
• Increases your self-confidence, determination, courage, inspires optimism and stress resistance;
• Promotes the construction of new neural connections, preventing brain diseases, problems with memory and thinking.

In addition, things made of natural amber have a positive effect on health and well-being. Radiant gems disinfect the air, destroy viruses, bacteria and toxins, drive away nightmares, depression, causeless anxiety and aggression. And when touched, cabochons release medicinal essential oils, acids, iodine, selenium, magnesium and zinc. These chemical compounds prevent headaches, muscle and joint spasms, nourish the body, protecting it from aging and ailments, and have a positive effect on the hormonal, circulatory, and digestive systems.

If you want to buy chess pieces made of amber, hurry - they exist in a single copy. Order them directly by contacting our consultant - he will explain all the nuances of payment and delivery. And our online store will gladly offer you unique and high-quality products!