China & Japan

China and to a lesser degree have always catered to the Western market in fahsioneing chess sets - both countries have quite ancient versions of chess themselves, Chiangqi in China and Shogi in Japan. The figurative ivory and bone sets made until quite recently in Canton and Hongkong - or in Japanese workshops - all are figurative and represent either traditional society - or at least the images Western clients are supposed to have. Apart from these expensive bibelot carvings, leser chess et have been carved in jade, wood, stone, soapstone and even bamboo...chiangqi and shogi sets are usually not very showy - their main distinction are the carefully fashioned identifying ideograms, reflecting the huge importance of this script in in Eastern society.

Guam daimyos

Simply and roughly carved wood set depicting feudal Japanese society - the daimyo, his lady, the buddhist priest - and the low caste dragging a heavy burden! These sets seem to have been a simple post-war tourist item, mainly for the US soldiers stationed in Japan and adjacent areas - this set was bought by a US tar in the Island of  Guam.

Not the least interesting fact are the wooden blocks inside the folding board,  minutely taylored to keep every figurine in its place! Almost a metapher of the rigid caste system in feudal traditional  Japanese society...with hardly any vertical movement possible....every piece/man in its allotted slot