Origami Chess Set

I was just looking through pictures trying to find a better header for this new template and I ran across a picture I had taken a few years ago of an origami chess set my Son and I had designed and constructed. 

I tried to follow some of the drawings I had seen of chess pieces from other sources, but I wasn’t really happy with the results.  And then I though about other chess sets I had seen and there seemed to be no reason to stick to the traditional designs.  I have seen sets designed after characters out of Tolkien, and Dungeons and Dragons, and Disney, and after various military engagements.  So we used that flexibility and varied the sizes of the figures to help communicate their roles in the game.  And this was the result.

• Kings are penguins (although this now reminds me of At the Mountains of Madness and gives me the willies) with crowns
• Queens are Nuns
• Rooks are are modified japanese ritual offering boxes that I cannot recall the name of at the moment
• Bishops are Monkey Gods with hats
• Knights are West Highland White Terriers or Scotties which have been modified to rear up on their hind legs
• Pawns are sumo wrestlers

I’m still not happy with the penguins/Kings, which fall over too easily.  I think the Queens do, as well.  If you have any suggestions for alternates, let me know.