- Dolfi "Farmers Bust" Set -
There are several wood carving groups in Val Gardena Italy. The most famous of these is Anri, and many of us know some of the Anri chess set. Dolfi has been doing similar work since 1890. Like Anri, Dolfi's figures are first roughed out first by machine, then by apprentice, and only the final details are done by master carpenter. I'm sure Marx would object to this assembly line method of wood-carving, but it makes for spectacular results. Their duplication is so exact it's scary. I actually prefer more variation in my hand carved chessmen. Even so, when I got a shot at this vintage figural bust set I couldn't pass it up. Buying vintage from eBay I didn't know at the time it was Dolfi. It's their "Farmers Bust" set. I don't know when they started making it, but they are still making it today. I'm guessing mine could have come from any time in the 20th century.
The set comes in one of my nicer board/boxes.
Carved busts; I suppose the pawns are farmers.
The figures are maple and they're pretty darn white. I don't know about the bases and the board.
Dark pieces are stained. They look more like milk and white chocolates from here.
Sharp detail.
Sadly the board is too small for the pieces. This may be a blessing in disguise as this problem has been corrected.
These sets are currently being sold with a much better fitting board. Possibly the presence of the ill-fitting board/box could help me date this one. Anyway...
...I snapped a few pictures on my big board.
The pieces are far better with room to "breathe."
White royalty.
The entire set.
A few minor pieces and pawns.
Kings. It's startling just how identical the Dolfi carvers can make these.
They did miss a spot to the left of the Kings' medallion... or perhaps it was left on purpose to prove these were hand-carved.
Queens. Look at that line on her neck... an incidental mark from the carver's tool one would think, but it's duplicated on the other Queen.
Hard to believe these are hand detailed.
Four Bishops, again almost eerily identical.
Knights. For some reason this pose is almost compulsory in these kinds of European figural "Charlemagne" style sets.
Here they are odd, in a way. Most chess sets only portray the bust of a horse, but in this bust set you get the entire horse.
Rooks... a bit of a let down after the high quality of the other pieces.
Dolfi does sell this set painted as well, and the shallow dimples on these rooks 'pop' much better in the painted version.
Perhaps this slight disappointment is the result of the designer making these to be painted and not thinking of this 'natural' version.
Sixteen unique pawns. Eight faces in two colors.
I'd believe this as a farmer.
... Possibly an angrier farmer here.
"The Happy Farmer"
Bust sets make for an attractive lineup.
Dofli "Farmers Bust" Set