War of the Rings Chess Set — Graeme Anthony (1989)

A monumental, hand-sculpted Middle-earth chess set by Dr Graeme Anthony, acquired in Australia in 1989.

This exceptional War of the Rings chess set was designed and hand-sculpted by Dr Graeme Anthony and acquired in Australia in 1989. It has been gently used and carefully stored for many years, remaining a striking, complete example of Anthony’s work.

Each piece is cast in a pewter-based alloy, plated in German Nickel Silver for the light side and Florentine Bronze for the dark side. The result is a set with real visual weight, presence, and ceremony — unmistakably made as a display-worthy collector’s piece rather than a novelty chess set.

The board itself is equally substantial: a large, embellished wooden board with copper and metal corner detailing and inlaid elements. Together with the pieces, this is a commanding set that instantly anchors a room.

Printed paper notes are included, and the original wooden storage box — bearing handwritten notes from the sculptor on the lid — remains with the set.

This is an increasingly difficult piece to source in New Zealand, particularly as a complete set with original box and documentation.

♟️ Set Details

Chessboard

• Wooden board with copper & metal embellishments
• Weight: 4.4 kg
• Dimensions: 55.7 cm square × 3.7 cm tall

Chess Pieces

• Stored in original wooden box (with sculptor’s handwriting)
• Wrapped in original newspaper
• Total weight (box pieces): 11 kg
• Box dimensions: 17 × 27 × 38.5 cm

Character Interpretation (as sculpted by the artist)

Light Side

• Galadriel
• Aragorn / Strider
• Gandalf the Grey
• Ents
• Tirion Castle
• Hobbits

Dark Side

• Shelob
• Sauron, the Ring Lord
• Saruman the White
• Smaug the Dragon
• Dark Tower of Mordor
• Orcs

Piece Scale

Largest: Gandalf — 12.5 cm tall, 671 g
Smallest: Orc — 7 cm tall, 233 g

📌 Condition Notes

• One minor historical break: Aragorn’s sword tip (stable, clearly shown in photos)
• Board shows minor age-appropriate dings and a small amount of grout loss
• No structural damage, no missing pieces
• Overall condition remains very strong for a 35-year-old sculptural set

📦 Shipping

Due to the size and weight of this piece, shipping reflects the care required. The board does not fold and will ship separately from the pieces for safety. Both parcels will be fully tracked. All Vault items ship via insured courier.

Collector’s Note

This item forms part of The Vault — Planet Retro’s curated selection of rare, story-driven pieces. As such, this item is sold as-is. Please review all images and measurements carefully before purchasing.
👉 Explore the Collector Note for this set.