By JULIET HUANG
Victor F. Scharstein has designed a glittering chess deck
that deserves more than fair game: its pieces are made of gold and lined up on
an ebony board to be appreciated.
Every pawn is painstakingly decorated with diamonds, rubies,
emeralds, sapphires and other semi-precious stones. The legs of the board as
well as its key, hinges and handle are carved out of gold, and decorated with
rubies and diamonds.
Overall, the opulent chess set has strongly Oriental
influences. The figures wear scholarly robes, and the amount of inlaid precious
stones serves as an indication of their different positions as well. The rook pieces take the shape of gold and
silver pagodas.
The piece of art bears its name on the board with an 18
carat gold carving of “Art of War” in Chinese and is estimated to cost $50,000.
www.artofwarchess.com