*SOLD* Veteranis Militibus (Weathered Warriors), Vintage Soviet Chess Set (early Stalin era), circa 1930 – 1940

Veteranis Militibus (Weathered Warriors), 32 lightly-weighted chessmen without board, wood, light brown v. dark brown, Soviet, circa 1930 – 1940
Height: King 8.5cm, weight 16g, base width 3.2cm, Queen 7.3cm, Bishop 6.7cm, Knight 7cm, Rook 5cm, Pawn 5cm. W: red felt bases B: black felt bases.

You can feel the passage of time when handling these seldom seen and well-weathered chess pieces that were in circulation during the reign of Alexander Alekhine, the feisty Russian World Champion, who died shortly after WWII.

The aristocratic and aloof ‘sneering’ knights and the sturdy tapering barrels of the Rooks lodged on their typically robust Soviet bases attract the eye instantly. The pawns possess long elegant stems, a rarity in Soviet sets, while the bishop’s Sport ‘acorn’ shaped mitres rather than the more traditional pointed themes.
Much of the set character – the ‘tattoos’ of time, if you like – has been left untouched, particularly on the turrets of the rooks and around the rim of their bases, as the photographs highlight. So please examine carefully.

The pieces are UV resistant and ideal for display, as well as casual play.
Both kings carry the hand-painted signature of the artist on their felt bases.

Ref code VM1