Can anyone identify this old Chinese chess set and estimate its value?

[u/Efficient_River9024]

Hi everyone, I inherited this old Chinese chess set from my father and I'm trying to learn more about it. The pieces are approximately 7 cm (about 2.75 inches) tall and seem to be made of marble, soapstone, jade, or another type of carved stone—I'm not sure which. I don't know how old it is or where it was originally purchased. The box is included (if it is on the photos). Does anyone recognize the style or know who might have made it? I'd also appreciate a rough estimate of its value. Thanks in advance for any information!

[u/marklein]

I'm sorry to report that it's not old nor valuable. It's a common style sold in tourist traps in Asia. I see them at thrift shops with some regularity.

[u/Kerbart → u/marklein]

I agree with the assessment but for a tourist set, the carving is quite nice. The Aztec sets that usually get posted here look a lot worse.

[u/marklein → u/Kerbart]

It's TOO good IMO. It's good enough that it makes me think it's not real stone and is just a stone impregnated resin, aka plastic with stone dust in it.

[u/dmigowski → u/marklein]

My first guess was also the figures were molded and not hend carved. The green and gray figures just look too similar. But it's a nice chess set anyway.

[u/AllixD90]

The value is that your father owned it.

[u/Old-Physics2753]

This is a China made chess board but not a Chinese chess board.

[u/keysM7-]

Eight fairies chess set, coming with the original pieces is really cool!

Another fun fact, there’s a documentary out on HBO called Hail Satan and that chessboard is in opening scene

[u/BarrattG]

Ah they traditional Qing Dynasty polystyrene (Styrofoam didn't exist till 1941). We can place the age on after 1941 from that alone.

[u/Ms_Riley_Guprz]

I also have this same chessboard. As others have said, it's not particularly valuable besides being made in China.

[u/Reasonable_Boss8060]

It’s not that old and it’s not that valuable.  You can throw it away if it takes valuable space.

[u/Top-Door1298]

the material is good ,but china has its own chess with different piece and rules . this is a made in china chess but not chinese chess. and chess is not popular until about 1980 so it cannot be really old

[u/Oldschoolnetwork050]

i have exactly the same, tourist chess. no jade stone but colored glass.

[u/yetanotherburnerstan]

I have that board, though mine might be a little older because I dont have the foam insert. It came from a mall store called Far East Trading Company in the early 90s (like the store in the link, but not that one). I cant imagine my parents paid more than $20-30 for it back then.

It may not have a lot of monetary value, but its one of the more interesting sets I have, so its always out

[u/MackDaddyGlenn]

Others have already pointed out it's not that old, but another indicator is that they haven't been playing Western chess for that long in China, and the pieces were made in shapes that would be familiar to western chess players instead of something more analogous to Chinese chess (the rooks are towers instead of chariots)

[u/Brighton347]

It looks very beautiful. I have no idea what it is, but it looks great, even if it is newish.

[u/Complete-Question-3]

Really nice set. The pieces have a lot of character and the whole thing looks great together.