Renaissance: Henry VIII & Francis I
The Field of the Cloth of Gold took place in June 1520, near Guisnes in France. The jousting and feasting, the colour and glitter, the tents and trappings dazzled all of Europe. It was described as a display of medieval chivalry at which King Henry VIII of England crossed the Channel to joust with the new French King, Frances I. Henry attempted to outdo Francis both by the splendour of his equipment, the cunning of his diplomacy and even his physical strength.

At the Field of the Cloth of Gold, Henry suddenly challenged Francis to a wrestling match. Francis seized Henry in a lightning grip and threw him to the ground. Henry went white with embarrassment, but held back his temper. The ceremonies continued, but Henry could not forgive such a personal humiliation. Any chance for co-operative friendship dissipated with this incident. Indeed, Henry had already began negotiations with Francis's enemy (Holy Roman) Emperor Charles V. Within a month, Charles declared war on France, with Henry in support.

Antique Finish means that the chess pieces are polished first then undercoated in a black paint and that is skillfully rubbed off the highlights and left in the creases and depths so each chess piece is brought into strong contrast. This is an excellant alternative to fully painted versions of the chess sets.

Scale is 54mm. Chess board sold separately on this website.