*SOLD* Ignis Incinis (Fire and Ash); Iconic Soviet ‘Baku’ Chess Set, Heavily Weighted, c.1960-1965

Fire and Ash (Ignis Incinis); 32 heavily weighted chess pieces without board,* wood, fire-red v. black, Soviet Era, artistically restored, c.1960.
Height: King 11.5cm, weight 50g, base width 3.7cm; Queen 9.5cm, wt 50g, Bishop 8.5cm 38g, Knight 8cm 55g, Rook 6.5cm 45g, Pawns 5.7cm 28g.
W: black felt pads, B: same

Fire and Ash! Life and Death! A reflection of the everyday encounters these old warriors face over the field of 64 squares. The light side is a fiery deep orange inspired by our ‘Fire on Board’ (Ignisi Tabula) listing that recently joined a collection in New York. I absolutely loved the vibrancy and depth of those pieces and immediately went about replicating that exact same finish here, which I believe I’ve achieved, using a combination of natural earthy powders, tinted shellac and various glazes producing a very rich, smooth finish that sings joyfully in the sun!

The dark pieces I was initially going to leave dead flat in absolute contrast to the light side, but after living with the set a few days decided this was too harsh a contrast. The remedy was a hand-buffed finish using burgundy wax polish which complimented the red matte highlights of the dark pieces perfectly and added a wonderful feel to the pieces.

The unique, custom-made finials are based on the original Baku design, but I have elevated them somewhat, as I felt the set deserved something a little special – a ‘twist’ if you like. They may catch the eye at first glance, but in my opinion, they suit the royals perfectly retaining an ‘old-time’ feel about them – and there’s nothing wrong with standing out from the crowd, is there?!

These heavily-weighted pieces are UV resistant and ideal for display as well as casual/blitz play. Both kings carry the hand-painted iridescent bronze ‘Power’ signature of the artist on their bases. Ignis Incinis is also accompanied by our hand-drawn ‘Certificate of Artistry’ which will be posted out separately once we tally up how many ‘Bronze Signature’ sets passed through our galleries in 2021 … “All good things …” as the old saying goes.

Ref code: FA21

Visit our Gallery for more artistically restored vintage chess sets. 

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