Exquisitely ornate. Painstakingly hand painted. 3.25 inch king. Ideal for a 16 inch board. THE PIECES Yet another fine example of superb craftsmanship by Italama of Italy. The detail is outstanding in these historical figures. The Roman king is every inch a commander in his detailed body armour and cloak, with his beautiful queen looking radiant in her flowing gown. The bishop is represented as a centurion type figure with the knight as always a beautifully detailed horse and rider. The rooks are portrayed as a Romanesque structure with the pawns as chain-mail clad infantry. The Arab force is equally detailed and beautifully ornate. The king\'s body armour and turban, along with the queen\'s robe and crown, are extremely precise in detail. The bishop and pawns are splendidly attired in costume of that period with an Arab looking castle for a rook. It is the knights in this set that are the most eyecatching, with a mounted soldier upon a camel instead of the usual portrayal of a horse. We have matched these stunning pieces with a beautiful 15.75 inch walnut and maple board from Spain to give you The Romans vs Arabs Themed Chess Set. With or without a board, they make a superb gift. THE HISTORY The Arab vs Romans (Arab v Byzantine) wars were a series of conflicts between the 7th and 11th centuries AD. It started under the developing Rashidun (first four caliphs - the “Rightly Guided\') and the Umayyad caliphs (second four caliphs) and was carried on by their successors until the mid 11th century. The flow of Arabs from the Arab Peninsula (now Saudi Arabia) in the 630s resulted in the taking over of Byzantium\'s southern colonies (Syria and Egypt) by the Muslims. Under the aggressive Umayyad Caliphs, the next 50 years saw the Muslims launch continuous attacks into Asia Minor, twice threaten the capital Constantinople with occupation and outright conquer of the Exarchate of Africa, a Byzantine administrative division. It was not until the failure of the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople in 718 that the situation stabilised and relations became more normal with the establishment and exchange of embassies and even periods of truce. Unfortunately conflict remained the norm, with almost yearly raids and counter raids running well into the 10th century.