Description
Haida Argillite Chess Pieces by Christian White.
This chess set is a reproduction of an argillite chess set from the Canadian History Museum’s Haida Gwaii collection. The set was carved by Christian M. White, a member of the Haida Nation, in 1997.
In creating the set, he spent a great deal of time reflecting on how to portray the Haida culture within chess traditions. His inspiration came from the seven main figures of Haida mythology. As a game of chess has only six characters, the two Rooks were each assigned a different Haida figure, completing the Haida pantheon without affecting the strategy of the game. The artist chose his father’s Eagle clan to represent the King and his mother’s Raven clan to represent the Queen. The Bishop is represented by a Frog, The Knight is the Orca (Killer Whale), The two Rooks (Bear, Rook Beaver) and a human form (the Watchman) complete the set.
These high-density resin sculptures are molded from casts of original historical Haida carvings, sourced from the Canadian Museum of History’s collection. The pieces range in size from the Eagle (King) at 3¼ inches to the 2-inch Rooks.
Argillite is a soft slate-like material found only on Haida Gwaii, has been carved by Haida artists since the early 19th century for trade and sale. These pieces honor this tradition, showcasing intricate designs and symbolic motifs that reflect the rich cultural heritage of the Haida people.
The chessmen are in as new condition. The pieces bear near complete remnants of the Canadian Museum lozenges. The pawns did not have these discs affixed to their bases. No chessboard is included, but a suitable new or antique chessboard can be found here. Made in Canada by Boma.1997.
