Where is the oldest chess set?

Pieces from the oldest known chess set are on display at the State Museum of Culture History of Uzbekistan in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The seven figurines are known as the Afrasiab chessmen and date back to the 6th to 8th centuries. Shop a range of antique chess sets on 1stDibs.

What is a gilded chess set?

A gilded chess set is a game set that includes a board and chess pieces that are highly decorative. Traditionally, the word gilded indicates something covered in gold. However, for chess sets, it can describe any pieces that feature decorative embellishments, such as carvings or inlays. You'll find a selection of antique and vintage chess sets on 1stDibs.

What is the name of the oldest European chess set?

The name of the oldest European chess set is the Venafro Chess Set. Experts estimate that artisans produced the set sometime between 885 to 1017 CE, and archaeologists discovered it in a Roman tomb in 1932. On 1stDibs, find a variety of chess sets from some of the world’s top sellers.

Chess Sets

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century European Biedermeier Game Tables

Materials

Burl

Continental Biedermeier Inlaid Pedestal Game Table in Burl Birch with Chess Set

$1,975

Vintage Chess Marble Set, 1970

By Gabriella Crespi

Located in LYON, FR

A vintage modern pink Algerian and white Carrara marble chess set. Complete set of 32 pieces

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Revival Games

Materials

Carrara Marble, Griotte Marble

Vintage Chess Marble Set, 1970

$651

1970s Italian Marble and Onyx Chess Board Set

Located in Richmond, VA

Offered is a fabulous, 1970s Italian marble and onyx chess set. Set includes all pieces. Heavy

Category

20th Century Italian Modern Games

Materials

Onyx, Marble

1970s Italian Marble and Onyx Chess Board Set

$495

Chess Piece King, Wedgwood, circa 1800

By Wedgwood

Located in Melbourne, Victoria

A white jasper King from the Flaxman chess set. Unmarked, which is not unusual for chess pieces

Category

Antique Late 18th Century English Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware

Chess Piece King, Wedgwood, circa 1800

$1,700

Chess Lamps

Located in Northampton, United Kingdom

. Due to them having lived outside and being played as part of a giant outdoor chess set in the

Category

Vintage 1960s British Table Lamps

Chess Lamps

$1,707

Vintage Game Table

Located in Chamblee, GA

for the backgammon board and storage room for the game pieces. The chess set is not included.

Category

20th Century American Other Game Tables

Materials

Walnut

Vintage Game Table

$2,900

Vintage Drueke Multi-Game Set on a Mini Carry-On Bag

Located in Oakland Park, FL

and among their products were some outstanding examples of chess sets. They remain popular even today

Category

1990s American Adirondack Games

Materials

Canvas, Plastic, Wood

Vintage Drueke Multi-Game Set on a Mini Carry-On Bag

$175

Coromandel Wood Games Compendium

By Hugo Rodrigues

Located in Newcastle Upon Tyne, GB

following: a games board in the lid for chess, draughts or checkers and backgammon, a set of bone draughts

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Decorative Boxes

Materials

Wood

Coromandel Wood Games Compendium

$2,253

Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian Emerald Green Art Nouveau Ceramic Pot Vase

By Pilkington s Royal Lancastrian Pottery Company

Located in Great Britain, Northern Ireland

unusual chess set design backed in pure Irish linen also available on 1stdibs. Color: Bottle green

Category

Early 20th Century English Art Nouveau Vases

Materials

Ceramic

Pilkingtons Royal Lancastrian Emerald Green Art Nouveau Ceramic Pot Vase

$793

Fine Vintage Set of Chess Pieces in Possibly Later Case

Located in Heukelum, Gelderland

Fine set of chess pieces in later case. Made of turned wood. Some losses.

Category

Antique 1890s Games

Fine Vintage Set of Chess Pieces in Possibly Later Case

$414

19th Century German Chess Checkers Handmade set Boxwood Ebony Germany

Located in Antwerpen, BE

Introducing a captivating 19th Century German Victorian Chess & Checkers Handmade Set, an exquisite

Category

Antique 19th Century German Victorian Games

Materials

Boxwood, Ebony

19th Century German Chess Checkers Handmade set Boxwood Ebony Germany

$888

Rare Oak Parquet Side Table (Chess Table)- Set of 2

By France Søn, Poul Cadovius

Located in Mississauga, CA

-catching piece with clean lines and intricate attention to detail. This set will fit many interior designs

Category

Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables

Materials

Oak

Rare Oak Parquet Side Table (Chess Table)- Set of 2

$2,516

Handcrafted Miniature Ceremonial Game Chamber by Stephen Mark Paulsen

By Stephen Mark Paulsen

Located in Denton, MD

large vessels, two chess sets, one hanging and one as a table and another special game set along with an

Category

Vintage 1980s American American Craftsman Decorative Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

Handcrafted Miniature Ceremonial Game Chamber by Stephen Mark Paulsen

$2,800

Painted English Chess Board, Complete Set of Pieces and Lidded Box

Located in Port Chester, NY

Charming set of pieces with a handpainted board, The measurements below are for the board. The

Category

Early 20th Century English Desk Accessories

Materials

Wood, Paint

Painted English Chess Board, Complete Set of Pieces and Lidded Box

$345

Machine Age Hand Lathed Aluminium And Brass Chess Pieces Set c1940s

Located in Gravesend, GB

Vintage Aluminium and Brass Chess Pieces From around 1940s

Category

Vintage 1940s Games

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Machine Age Hand Lathed Aluminium And Brass Chess Pieces Set c1940s

$676

Lucite Chess Game Set by Michel Dumas on a Metal Board

By Michel Dumas

Located in Staphorst, NL

Seventies design chess game. Designer: Michel Dumas. Manufacturer: Michel Dumas Creations

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Games

Lucite Chess Game Set by Michel Dumas on a Metal Board

$1,650

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Chess Sets For Sale on 1stDibs

Find a variety of chess sets available on 1stDibs. Each of these unique chess sets was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, metal and stone. Find 954 antique and vintage chess sets at 1stDibs now, or shop our selection of 110 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished furniture. Chess sets have long been popular, with older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. Chess sets made by mid-century modern designers — as well as those associated with modern — are very popular at 1stDibs. Austin E. Cox, Michael Graves (b.1934) and Austin Enterprises each produced beautiful chess sets that are worth considering.

How Much are Chess Sets?

Prices for chess sets can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, chess sets begin at $3 and can go as high as $285,000, while the average can fetch as much as $1,883.

Questions About Chess Sets

Where is the oldest chess set?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Pieces from the oldest known chess set are on display at the State Museum of Culture History of Uzbekistan in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The seven figurines are known as the Afrasiab chessmen and date back to the 6th to 8th centuries. Shop a range of antique chess sets on 1stDibs.
What is a gilded chess set?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
A gilded chess set is a game set that includes a board and chess pieces that are highly decorative. Traditionally, the word gilded indicates something covered in gold. However, for chess sets, it can describe any pieces that feature decorative embellishments, such as carvings or inlays. You'll find a selection of antique and vintage chess sets on 1stDibs.
What is the name of the oldest European chess set?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023
The name of the oldest European chess set is the Venafro Chess Set. Experts estimate that artisans produced the set sometime between 885 to 1017 CE, and archaeologists discovered it in a Roman tomb in 1932. On 1stDibs, find a variety of chess sets from some of the world’s top sellers.