Description
Anri Elsinore Minimalist Chessmen.
Offered here is a beautifully hand-carved set of Anri Elsinore Minimalist Chess Pieces, designed by Arthur Elliot, the famed designer of the Space Age Universum Ches set. Similarly modern and minimalist, with simple, elegant lines and details, the chessmen are abstract figurine representations of each of the chessmen. The Anri Elsinore chessmen are hand carved. The King stands 4-0″ tall. The pieces are crafted from Teak and Alpine Maple and are felted and lightly weighted. The chessmen are in excellent condition. The chess set lacks its fitted mahogany case. Anri chessmen are made in Italy and were produced between 1961 and 1984.
In the late 19th century Alois Riffeser traveled to the major European cities to sell the wood carved figurines and toys which were bought from the farmers of the Gröden Valley located in the Dolomite region of the Alps. This area in South Tyrol was part of Austria-Hungary at the time until being annexed to Italy in 1919.
In 1912 Josef Anton Riffeser founded the ANRI Company, which he named using the first two letters of his first and last name. After World War I, where he was in a prisoner of war camp in Siberia, he formulated his plan for a woodcarving company. He created his own models which he distributed successfully, mainly in the Alpine region.
