Mexican wood Sets
Principal types are Staunton sets - with a difference! - and pintop sets - which are composed of several premade pieces. They are actually made for playing, and usually contained in a handmade folding box/board. Standard souvenir for Texans, and other US tourists down south.
Pulpit Set
Rarer and older version of Pulpit Sets - in wood, with a 90 mm king. At first it seemed bone painted with thick varnish - but on closer inspection it is authentic wood - made the same way as most mexican sets, from preproduced components assembled on a central stem. This set suggests a line reaching from wooden sets to bone versions, to bone/resin versions of the same style...ca. 1940.
Mexican Stauntons
... come in all sizes, and varying forms... |
Playing set
Playing set - good stability thanks to bulbous bottoms - king height 146mm. Wasted felt on bottoms points to 50ies to 60ies. |
More medium-large sets
Two well finished sets - both varnished - at king size 146 mm. Left set is very cylindrical, with narrow bases - knight rests highly instable - right set is perhaps the best form, with bottle-like rounded bases, good stability.. etc. - from the postwar years ... |
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Patio Set
Phantastic chessmen - I consider myself very lucky to have acquired them in a most rocambolesque manner - kings stand 262 mm - style is unique among mexican chessmen, and the felt and harmonic forms speak of days long gone - 1930 -1950ies. These are NOT two queens, slightly different ....the black piece is a bishop....
Middle size pintop
Made in the same nicely grained pinewoods as the others, this set stands 146 mm - this seems too be a good middle size format. Felted and decorated with numerous boreholes...one-piece pawns and rooks... |
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Patio format
King size 262 mm - great to grab from above , and waft around in the air....nicely stylized rooks - good stability.
