Of course the design is beautiful and makes you want to play. The pieces are balanced and have a good solid feel when you pick it up and set it down. My complaint is with the craftmanship -- the knights I received did not resemble the perfectly smooth spiral as depicted in the photographs -- mine were lumpy and the spiral slightly irregular -- it was most notable on the black knights. All other pieces were executed beautifully. A huge thank you to Chess House for being kind and responsive to my customer complaint -- they sent replacement knights very quickly. While the new one was improved it still did not resemble the photo. While I am disappointed I kept it as I didn't think the manufacturer cared and there was no point in continuing to request replacement knights as it probably didn't exist except for the photo. The set was a gift to someone special and it is really lovely. A custom cardboard box is provided with some info about Man Ray and the set. The pieces are somewhat protected in the box since most pieces have individual niche but a few pieces have to share a so some paper is wrapped to protect it. Again, outstanding customer service by Chess House!!