Berkeley Chess Royal Beast Russet Chessmen

UK-made and intricately sculpted. Unique and imposing design. Large 5.8-inch King. Solid crushed stone resin pieces. Deep russet brown and warm cream finish. Felt-covered bases. One of our largest and most impressive sets, these awe-inspiring crushed stone resin pieces feature imposing designs based on the Royal Beasts of Hampton Court Palace. The 'King's Beasts', as they were originally named, were sculpted for King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace during the 16th century. In the years that followed, many stone beasts adorned the walls of Hampton Court until King William III used them to fill in the palace's moat during the 17th century. In 1909, the moat was cleared and several of the original beasts were retrieved. Queen Elizabeth II had her own set of ten beasts created, inspired by Henry's originals. The Queen's beasts are the ones which we see adorning many regal emblems today, such as crests and shields. This unusual and richly detailed set of pieces features designs based on the most iconic of the Royal Beasts, and are coloured with a rich, deep russet and cream finish. The King: Lion of England The Queen: Unicorn of England The Bishop: White Lion of Mortimer & Black Bull of Clarence The Knight: White Horse of Hanover & Yale of Beaufort The Rook: Griffin of Edward III & Falcon of the Plantagenets The Pawn: Greyhound of Richmond & Red Dragon of Wales