Crafty Chess Pieces
One thing I’ve realised during my many years as a Crafty Canadian is that there is a real market in Canada for goods reflecting our various heritages.
So First Nations or Native Canadian arts and crafts are popular even amongst people who can’t actually trace any ancestors in First Nation Tribes. Similarly Chinese materials, especially pottery and porcelain, can be found in millions of Canadians’ homes, even though they might not descend from Chinese families. T-shirts showing Jamaican themes of Bob Marley, the red, gold and green flag or Haile Selassie are worn by young people of all shapes, sizes and descents.
And Scottish crafts are also really popular. Tartan is a good, solid, saleable pattern if you are a knitter or dress designer. Tartan-patterned scarves keep many a Canadian neck warm over the winter, and for more upmarket goods, many people of Scottish descent (and that means millions of Canadians) like to buy lewis chessmen.
The original chess set was crafted by a twelfth century Viking artist back when the Norsemen occupied much of northern Scotland, including the island of Lewis in the Hebrides chain. Carved out of walrus ivory or whale teeth, the pieces are famous in the art world and amongst historians because they are so individual, some are pulling faces, others are smiling, and a couple are representatives of the famous Viking berserker warriors. They are baring their teeth in their battle-frenzy, and even biting the tops of their shields.
charming and distinctive pieces
Charming and distinctive, of the 78 pieces found, there are also elaborately carved kings and queens, bishops and horsemen. The pawns range in height from about three to six centimetres, while the major pieces are bigger, about seven to ten centimetres high.
Replica sets of these chess pieces sell really well. For the most upmarket sets, silver or cut glass look lovely, but for cheaper sets, I’ve seen wood, resin, or even plastic. Whatever the material or price, someone in Canada will want them.
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