Berkeley Chess Victorian Cardinal Chess Men

Chess figures cast from fine stone resin, featuring designs based on the iconic characters featured on 19th century playing cards.

• Beautifully crafted in the UK.
• Stunning Victorian inspired designs.
• Impressive 4 inch King.
• Solid crushed stone resin pieces.
• Unique metallic finish.
• Perfectly balanced and sturdy.

Stunningly unique with a sophisticated design, these Victorian-style chess pieces have been carefully crafted in the UK and are certain to add a beautiful atmosphere to any chess game.

The unmistakeable design of the characters on playing cards – the King, Queen and Knave (or Jack) were popularized in the 19th century, when they became the standard for all card games. However, the history of these timeless figures goes back a lot further. Known as the ‘Rouennais’ design, this style is believed to have originated in the 1400s in Rouen, Northern France.

The style died out in medieval France, however, but it was exported overseas where it became popular in England and later, America.

Inspired by both the classic Rouennais card designs, and by the era of Queen Victoria- Britain’s sovereign from 1837 until her death in January 1901- this is a uniquely sophisticated set of pieces. Over the Victorian era the island nation of Britain was transformed from an agricultural land into a global industrial powerhouse and its naval empire expanded to an international level.

From the development of railways and canal networks to advanced developments in the fields of science and medicine, the Victorian era represents a renaissance that catapulted Britain into the 20th century and beyond.

Victorian Britain was also the place where the Staunton Chess Set originated. What is now the standard for chessmen designs was originally designed and sold in England in the 19th century. Berkeley Chess in Somerset UK have ingeniously blended two of the most iconic designs of this era – Staunton Chess and Rouennais playing cards – to create a set of resin chessmen with a level of quality and style that really has to be seen to be believed.