Medieval Venetian gilded chess set with chessboard

Unique chess set, made of bronze using the lost-wax casting process, finished with genuine 24-karat gold. Each piece is signed by the sculptor. The chessboard is made of onyx and bronze, with a bronze and genuine gold frame. The origins of Venice date back to the 7th century: it seems the city was founded by people fleeing the attacks of the Huns and the Lombards. Initially, the Venetians were under the Byzantine authority of the Exarchate of Ravenna, but after its collapse (739), they remained independent and were governed by a leader called a "doge." Venice was in an enviable geographical position as an intermediary between East and West, finding its purpose in trade and defending its freedom in an extraordinary way for centuries. From the 15th century, two powerful enemies appeared on the horizon: the Turks on one hand, and the Austro-Hungarians on the other. Moreover, the Venetian economy was dealt a fatal blow by the opening of the Atlantic to traffic, the discovery of America, and the shift of commercial centers. Despite the skill of its enemies, Venice always triumphed in trade and produced the greatest artists, remaining throughout a center where Libertas allowed for debate among the most diverse philosophical, social, and religious ideas. With the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797, Napoleon ceded the centuries-old independence of the Serenissima to Austria, and in 1866, Venice became part of the Kingdom of Italy. The city's symbol is the Winged Lion, the emblem and distinctive mark of the evangelist whom the Venetians chose as their great patron saint: Saint Mark.
Dimensions: knight: height: 18 cm - Chessboard: 67x67x9.5 cm - 6.9 cm