The royal palace and fortress of the Tower of London, founded by William the Conqueror shortly after 1066, is one of the world’s most famous and spectacular castles. Known for housing the Crown Jewels, its Yeoman Warders (‘Beefeaters’) and its ravens, the Tower is today the most visited historic site in Britain.
The high skill of the designers, sculptors and craftsmen of SAC shines through in our collection of UK handmade chess sets and European chess boards. The richness of finish and attention to detail contribute to the success of the beautiful products from the SAC range, which are appreciated on five continents.
The chess sets are mainly produced in two finishes made from crushed stone poly resin. Hand painted sets where only certain parts are coloured by hand, whilst some areas remain plain, allowing for the natural material to be exposed after a light coloured wash of paint. Our regular sets are in a burgundy and cream plain finish with a light dark wash to emphasise the detail in the pieces. The chess sets do not come with the chess board which need ordering separately.
Studio Anne Carlton, SAC, was first established in 1969 to manufacture and distribute traditional games with the emphasis on chess sets. In 2003 the manufacturing production of the poly resin chess sets was moved to China, with design and development remaining in the UK. In May 2014 the Ancestors® Group acquired the rights to manufacture and distribute the SAC range of decorative sets and classic games under their own brand Timeline®.
Ancestors®, being a manufacturer of heritage products in the UK and casters in pewter were able to move the SAC brand into new areas of distribution and introduce, over the course of time, new products including English Pewter Chess Sets. All production of the chess set pieces is now in the UK and a far superior product is now produced.
SAC, UK made, chess pieces are highly sought after in the collectable markets. The fact that these highly prized pieces are completely handmade makes volume production out of the question. Consequently many of the earlier and discontinued sets are returning substantial prices when appearing at auction. The sets are avidly collected by enthusiasts all over the world.
Accessories
Standard Chess sets do not include a chess board. SAC are very pleased to be able to provide a range of chess boards especially hand made in Europe using highly skilled craftsmen producing boards made to fit our sets in a variety of styles, finishes and including boards with space to accommodate and protect the SAC chess pieces. Also available are a range of high quality wooden games.
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