- Wood and Bone Pulpit Set -
The idea of mixing wood and bone came to Mexico in the form of French Lyon sets. Note the likeness this set bares to an anitque French Lyon set. With such a strong French influence clasify this set was a touch call. In the end I decided it shared more with Spanish Pulpit sets. This is why I've included it here. I acquired this set very cheaply with one pawn top missing. I replaced the missing part with a resin copy. This is probably the most common Mexican wood and bone set you'll see on eBay. Like other bone sets, these are often misrepresented as ivory. Don't let anyone tell you these are ivory. Some of these are plastic, some are bone. This particular set is bone with one plastic piece that I made as a repair. The wood is cedar. (Only some of these pictures have been taken on the cedar board that came with the set.) Incidentally, if anyone has a pawn they think might match these or even just the top bone section of a pawn, I'd be interested in buying the piece for dirt cheap or with trade in order to better repair this set. Here are the pictures:
Sunlight pierces the thin face of the black knight.
I see movement in this picture.
The bridled knight has become synonymous with Mexican sets. It is actually a hold over from antique Spanish Pulpit sets (see Victor Keats, pg. 49.) It's easy to tell from this picture the material is bone.
A wash of morning sunlight.
Mexican bone and cedar chess set.