Ivory Chess Sets
As long as the game of Chess has existed, there have been chess sets made out of exotic materials and few are more popular than that of a Classic Ivory Chess Set. Ivory has been a material that has been used for many centuries in the construction of many of the finer things in life and Chess Sets are no different. Some of the very oldest Chess Sets in existence have been carved from Ivory.
The oldest Ivory chess pieces that I am aware of are on display at the British Museum of History and are believed to have been carved in the 7th and 8th century in what is known today as Uzbekistan. These ancient chess pieces do not resemble those you are familiar with today due to the simple fact that they originated from a time when Chess was almost exclusively an Islamic game so the pieces reflect that culture.
It is believed that Nathaniel Cook and John Jaques created the first set of "Staunton" chess pieces out of ivory rather than wood. In case you are unaware, Staunton Chess pieces are the style that you are familiar with today. They have become the classic style of chess piece that we all know and love today.
In recent years, Ivory has become quite rare and it is not nearly as common today as it was hundreds of years ago. In the present day, Ivory Chess Sets are typically only found in the possession of collectors and in some cases a quality Vintage Ivory Chess set can sell for many thousands of dollars and even new Ivory chess sets are quite expensive. Ivory Chess Sets are extremely rare because ivory is much harder to come by that it was hundreds of years ago, it might have been a common material then, but it is quite rare today.
If you are in the market for a gorgeous Ivory Chess Set then make sure you check scan the sets below as you can save a ton of money buying on Ebay.