The House of Hauteville Chess Set is an artist's dream come true. ChessHouse brings you artist Carolyn Cavanaugh's design, now produced in limited quantities right here in the USA. Her masterpiece is now available to chess collectors and artists. An initial production was donated to the Smithsonian's benefit auction and brought over $500.
The House of Hauteville chess pieces are handcrafted entirely in the US. The pieces are substantial from 3 to 5 inches tall and are ideal with a chessboard of at least 2" squares.
The House of Hauteville Chess Set was inspired by the adventurous Normans who invaded Italy in the Eleventh Century.
The King and Queen have been named after Robert and Sichelgaita, the Count of Apulia and his wife. To the King she gave a cat reminiscent of the quotation, "a cat may look upon a king...", to the Queen a hawk to emphasize her power, and to the Bishop a puzzled expression to reflect the ecclesiastical conflict of that time. The Knights are called Drogo and Tancred - names taken from the famous Norman Hauteville family.
Each piece was originally modeled in clay, then molded and reproduced in wax. The wax patterns were refined for better detail and final molds were made for reproduction. They are cast in stone resin.
These chessmen are designed for the enjoyment of all - the serious player and the collector. We hope everyone will enjoy the artistry and humor of the work.
Specifications: - 32 pieces
- Made of marble resin.
- King size: 5"
- Pawn size: 3 1/4"
- Base size: 1 7/8"
- Bases felted with four green dots
- Weight: 9+ pounds. Weight varies slightly from set to set.
The Drueke board photographed with the pieces is no longer available. See board options for current selection.
