I believe this to be a bakelite chess set from the 50's. I have had other bakelite sets and this one feels and looks exactly the same. It is beautifully felted and very substantially weighted. The only apology is A MISSING BLACK KNIGHT (which will be the easiest to replace since it is just black - a replacement might not even be noticed). A really nice set in great condition for it's age. Thanks for looking - if you have a few minutes, I have some other chess sets listed in my Ebay store.  (LS1  526 E )