From the second half of the 18th century, Russian chess sets of the so-called figurative type were made in the shape of two armies—Eastern and European. The main pieces were the Turkish sultan and the King, holding a scepter. Mammoth ivory, elephant ivory, walrus ivory and deer antler were used to make chess sets. Initially, each piece was carved by hand, but the invention of the lathe made the bone carver's work easier. The ivory carvers from the village of Kholmogory excelled in ivory. They produced chess sets for export, and today their pieces can be found in European museums and private collections.
