Description
The Knight Mammoth Ivory Chessmen by Oleg Raikis.
Offered here is a custom-carved Library-size Knight chess set by Oleg Raikis. The King stands 2-1/2” tall with a I” diameter base. Both Kings are inscribed “Raikis” on the underside of their base. The pieces are all pedestal mounted. The set is new and only a few of these Library size sets were ever carved by Oleg. The Knight chess set represents one of the most acclaimed figurative designs by Russian sculptor and carving master Oleg Raikis, executed in premium 40,000-year-old Siberian mammoth ivory. This exceptional set demonstrates the technical virtuosity and artistic imagination that have made Raikis’ work highly sought-after by serious collectors worldwide.
The Knight Mammoth Ivory chessmen employs the natural coloration of mammoth ivory for both armies. Light brown staining differentiates the opposing armies, a classical treatment in premium mammoth ivory sets. Each piece stands on a pedestal base, with the entire set constructed from hand-carved and hand-turned components
The Knight set features distinctive figurative pieces carved with both artistic precision and thematic coherence. The mysterious Bishops are particularly celebrated and showcase Oleg’s complex high-quality carving work. Each piece demonstrates individual artistic variation, as all elements are hand-carved rather than cast, giving the set a unique human touch that distinguishes it from mass-produced alternatives.
The set is more suitable for display rather than active play due to its Value rather than concerns about its durability. The chessboard shown is not included in this sale, but a suitable chessboard can be found here. The chess pieces are new and were crafted around 2020.
An Aside.
The use of mammoth ivory, rather than elephant or walrus ivory, provides both legal and ethical advantages. Mammoth products are exempt from international trade restrictions because they are classified as fossils, having been excavated from Siberian permafrost where woolly mammoths have been frozen for over 160,000 years. This material used to carve a complete chess set represents around one percent of all mammoth ivory harvested, as most recovered material is unsuitable for fine carving.
History Of The Chess Pieces.
The Mammoth byproducts are excavated from the permafrost of the Siberian tundra, which the woolly mammoth inhabited for more than 160,000 years. During the last ice age, the mammoth went extinct as the direct result of rapidly plummeting temperatures. The dry, cold environment of Siberia combined with the massive sheets of ice from the ice age created the ideal environment for the preservation of Mammoth byproducts. The woolly Mammoths have been entombed under the Siberian permafrost ever since, waiting to be unearthed.
For more than 2,000 years, Mammoth tusks have been traded and remain a highly prized commodity across the world. While that demand for the Mammoth byproducts has always been higher than its supply, it began its steep rise when the international ivory ban was enacted. This agreement banned all sales of new Elephant or Walrus Ivory, in an effort to protect the animals from extinction. As a result, Mammoth became the only type of animal-based ivory that is exempt from the international trade restrictions. Over the past few years, the price of Mammoth tusks has more than tripled, due largely to the unprecedented demand for luxury goods from such emerging countries as India and China. This trend is expected to continue. Less than one percent of the Mammoth byproducts harvested are of suitable quality for the manufacturing of chess pieces, thus adding the production costs and long-term value.
About the Sculptor.
Oleg Raikis has a strong affinity with chess, having been an ambitious tournament player in his youth. His love for the game is now an inspiration for his art. Aside from his sculptures, Oleg has designed and created many chess sets. They combine the creative imaginative skill of a master craftsman with the understanding of the practical requirements needed for a set of chessmen to be acceptable as an efficient tool for an ancient Royal game. Oleg Raikis’ impressive sculptures, carved from hard woods and mammoth ivory, were displayed in the international exhibition, ‘Sculptor 1991’. Since then, his work has been constantly on show, including exhibiting in Galleries in Germany, Britain and the States. Oleg is a member of Russian Federation of Artists, International Federation of Art and Chess Collectors International.
Oleg’s artistic and practical chess sets have been much admired within the international chess collector community, where they take a proud place in collections in Russia, the USA. Canada, Germany, Italy, Finland, Netherlands, and England. He is an internationally recognized mammoth sculptor and chess carving artist based in Russia, whose hand-carved pieces combine sophisticated understanding of chess piece proportion and function with ambitious artistic vision. His designs move beyond traditional Staunton forms to explore thematic representation—from historical figures (Thomas Jefferson set, Imperial Roman set) to mythological subjects (Gods of Mythology) to contemporary artistic interpretations. Each set remains fundamentally functional for chess play while serving as collectible art objects suitable for museum acquisition and serious private collections. You are not likely to see contemporary chess set designs equal to the work of Oleg Raikis.
