Product Description:
- Presented on a beautiful 15.75 inch board
- Superb detail
- Beautifully crafted
- 3.25 inch King
THE PIECES
King Lot heads his troops accompanied by his wife Morgause.
Mordred plays a more menacing bishop on this field with a steed cloaked in the king's colours as the Knight and a turreted castle depict the Rook. This army is completed by Melehan, son of Mordred, representing the Pawns.
None other than King Arthur himself leads his army in this beautiful set of quality chess pieces. Looking very regal with his crown and cloak, he is supported by his beautiful wife Guinevere who is adorned in a long flowing white gown. Merlin is easily recognizable as the bishop with his long flowing robes, grey beard and staff. Passelande, cloaked in the kings colours, depicts the Knight with Camelot standing as the Rook. The army of Pawns are depicted by an armoured Sir Lancelot.
We have presented these quality chess pices on a fine 15.75 walnut and Maple board from Spain. These historical King Arthur Hand Painted chess pieces are also sold separately. With or without the board they make a superb gift for any Arthurian or chess enthusiast.
THE HISTORY
Although gleaned from various sources, the historical background of Arthur is sparse. He was a legendary Britsh leader who, according to romances and medieval histories, led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD. His horses were named Llamrei and Hengroen. Later, French sources call his horse Passelande. Details of Arthur's story are mainly composed from folklore and his historical existence is disputed and debated amongst modern historians.
Guinevere was the wife of this fabled King. One of the most prominent stories is Queen Guinevere's love affair with Lancelot, her husband's chief Knight.
The mythical figure best known as the wizard in Arthurian history, is a mixture of previous historical and legendary figures. Geoffrey of Monmouth who wrote Historia Regum Britanniae in c. 1136, combined Myrddin Wylt with Ambrosius Aurelianus to form the character we know as Merlin. He is allegedly buried in the Broceliande Forest in Brittany
According to Arthurian Legend, Sir Lancelot was one of the Knights of the Round Table and he typically features as not only the King's greatest companion but as the lord of Joyous Gard together with being the greatest swordsman and jouster of that era. Following the discovery of his affair with Guinevere, civil war broke out bringing about the end of Arthur's kingdom.
Lot was chiefly King of Lothian but some sources say that he also ruled Orkney and Norway. He is also depicted as the husband of Arthur’s sister or half sister who was variously named Anna or Morgause.
Mordred was a notorious traitor who fought against Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, during which Mordred was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Sadly Mordred was Arthur’s illegimate son by his half-sister Morgause (wife of King Lot).
