Ay Khanoum (Lady Moon)

The chess set is entirely hand-carved with the precision, care and attention to detail that comes with decades of artisanal experience in mastering Central Asian woodcarving techniques. Inspired by pre-Islamic mythical figures and the cultural artefacts of the remote parts of eastern Afghanistan, the 32 figures in the chess set are carefully hand-carved from walnut and hand-painted with exuberant acrylic colours. A unique piece, it serves both as a board game as well as a collectable work of art.

● Type: Chess Set
● Dimensions: 56 L x 56 W x 7.5 H cm
● Material: American walnut, acrylic paint
● Date: 2022

This chess set draws inspiration from the historic Nuristani figures. Nuristan is a remote mountainous part of eastern Afghanistan, where several ancient tribes have lived and flourished in isolation. They are thought to be relics of an original Indo- European population secluded in the mountains up until the 1890s when they were forced to convert to Islam by the Afghan Emir. It was at this time that the region became known as Nuristan (land of light). As pagans with their own ancient belief system, Nuristanis carved large figures of their gods out of tree trunks. They developed their own chip-carving techniques using simple tools and local timber from the surrounding forests. The figurines in this chess set are a playful reinterpretation of some of the Nuristani figures Naseer and Hadieh have seen in museums over the years.

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