Beautifully crafted in Italy. Painstakingly hand painted. 3.25 inch king. Ideal for a 16 inch board. THE PIECES One of the most striking themed sets, the Ancient Egptian Themed Set by Italfama has the \'wow\' factor as soon as you open the box. Both sides depict a typical Ancient Egyptian artefact and are divided between ornately painted on gold or black and gold. The Kings are always easy to recognise from this era, with their headdress. The Blue and gold headdress, that we associate with this figure, is called a Nemes although, depending on the significance or event, there were many different ones used. A king is also recognised by the crossed arms stance with the crook in one hand and a flail in the other. The queen, again, is easily recognised by her headdress and her palms on knees pose. The Bishop is depicted by a Falcon. Horus, the god of the sky and kingship, is often shown as a man with a falcon\'s head. The Knight is portrayed by a cat. Cats were held in very high esteem in this era. Revered for vermin control and their ability to kill snakes, they became a symbol of grace and poise. The rooks are shown as obelisks, which were prominent in Egyptian architecture and normally built in pairs at the entrance to temples. The word Obelisk, however, is of Greek origin. An Ancient Egyptian line up would not be complete without Anubis. The God of Funerals and Death, this famous figure makes a perfect pawn in this truly stunning set of pieces. We have matched these stunning pieces with a beautiful Spanish board of walnut and maple to give you The Ancient Egypt Themed Chess Set THE HISTORY Following prehistoric Egypt, The Ancient Egypt era ran from 3100BC until 332BC. This era was split into 9 different periods including the Old, Middle and New Kingdom. There are many achievements of the Ancient Egyptians that have left a lasting legacy. The quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that built pyramids, temples and obelisks, their mathematics system, their practical and effective medicine, irrigation and agricultural techniques, planked boats, glass technology, literature and peace treaties are all thanks to this era and its people. Their architecture and art were widely duplicated and in some cases, sadly, ancient relics removed to places around the globe. Thankfully the Egyptian Museum in Cairo retains and displays the majority of the treasures and relics found in and around the ruins of Ancient Egypt. Meticulously and carefully cleaned, catalogued and put on display for all to see and admire. Even the beautiful ruins have inspired the imagination of travellers and writers alike across the centuries and they continue to draw people to stand in awe of their colossal size, perfect construction with no apparent means, and just the pure wonder of standing in places where a civilisation had existed thousands of years before.