Discover "a new world" experience with this Christopher Columbus Themed Pieces on Palisander Board combo!The stylish Santos Palisander and Maple veneered board features an inlay border and a smooth matte finish that is pleasing to the eye and touch. The striped and highly visible grain of the Palisander wood is of the Dahlbergian genus, the same family as Rosewood and a wonderful match for the dark toned Christopher Columbus Themed Pieces. The board is manufactured in Spain with the same techniques used with high-end furniture.Sitting atop the board, the BerkeleyChristopher Columbus Themed Pieces are a crowning touch.The rich and momentous life of Christopher Columbus has been brought to life in these beautifully detailed pieces. The detail itself is quite special and the original designs date back to 1992 when they were created to mark the 500th anniversary of the original voyage in 1492. Berkeley Chess have spent considerable time adapting the sculptures to ensure that they work as chess pieces.Piece designer Michael says "All characters depicted within the chess set played an important role in the success of the voyages but Christopher Columbus himself was of course the dominant force so would have to be my favorite piece. Vicente Pinzon was also instrumental to the success of the voyage as he accommodated Columbus and his crew on the flagship Nina when the Santa Maria was wrecked. Pinzon's seamanship and man management skills were the salvation of the expedition especially on the stormy return journey to Spain.It has been a great project for Berkeley Chess to be able to adapt these sculptures to create this chess set. I have always had a keen interest in European and American history and it has been a wonderful experience for me to be able to help create a product capturing what was one of the most important events in the development of the western world."The characters are: King: Christopher Columbus; Queen: Queen Isabella of Spain - Financial backer of the expeditions; Bishop: Vicente Yanez Pinzon - Captain of the support ship Nina; Knight: Martin Alonzo Pinzon - Captain of the support ship Pinta; Rook: The Santa Maria - The flagship of the expedition; Pawn: Rodrigo Bermajo - Crewman who first sighted land; Specifications King Height 4.25? (11cm).; King Diameter 1.4? (3.5cm).; King Weight 130g (4.6oz); Made of a ratio of crushed marble and resin, and then finished with a felt underlay; Board dimensions 21 5/8" x 21 5/8" x 1/2" (21.63"); Square size: 2 1/8" (2.13");.