MALAYSIA: UNUSUAL "LORD OF THE RINGS" CHESS SET GOES ON SALE IN KUALA LUMPUR

Record ID: 753251

  • Title: MALAYSIA: UNUSUAL "LORD OF THE RINGS" CHESS SET GOES ON SALE IN KUALA LUMPUR
  • Date: 12th December 2001
  • Summary: KUALA LUMPUR AND SELANGOR, MALAYSIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) A KING CELEBORN PEWTER GOBLET ON DISPLAY PEWTER GOBLETS SCULPTED IN LORD OF THE RINGS CHARACTERS A QUEEN GALADRIEL PEWTER GOBLET A DRAGON FIGURINE DRAGON FIGURINE WITH LORD OF THE RINGS POSTER A SELECTION OF LORD OF THE RINGS PEWTER MERCHANDISE PEOPLE SHOPPING AT ROYAL SELANGOR SHOWROOM FOR LORD OF THE RINGS MERCHANDISE TOURISTS LOOKING AT ROYAL SELANGOR'S LORD OF THE RINGS MERCHANDISE ROYAL SELANGOR SHOWROOM AT THE KUALA LUMPUR CITY CENTRE ROYAL SELANGOR'S LORD OF THE RINGS DISPLAY CENTRE AT KL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PEOPLE ENTERING ROYAL SELANGOR'S AIRPORT DISPLAY CENTRE LORD OF THE RINGS PEWTER MERCHANDISE ON DISPLAY AT AIRPORT CENTRE SARUMAN PEWTER GOBLET ROYAL SELANGOR'S WORLD'S BIGGEST PEWTER BEER TANKARD ON DISPLAY OUTSIDE PEWTER FACTORY EXTERIOR ROYAL SELANGOR HEADQUARTERS AND FACTORY ROYAL SELANGOR WORKERS PUTTING FINISHING TOUCHES TO LORD OF THE RINGS MERCHANDISE WORKER PUTTING FINISHING TOUCHES TO LORD OF THE RINGS MERCHANDISE VARIOUS WORKERS WORKING ON LORD OF THE RINGS GOBLETS WORKER USING TORCH TO WELD TOGETHER GOBLET WORKER PUTTING PEWTER ALLOY INTO MOULD ROYAL SELANGOR LORD OF THE RINGS MERCHANDISE DESIGNER GRAEME ANTHONY PLAYING WITH MERCHANDISE CHESS PIECES GRAEME ANTHONY MOVING CHESS PIECES A GANDALF WINE SHOT GLASS CHESS PIECE A SAURON WINE SHOT GLASS CHESS PIECE PAWN CHESS PIECES WITH SARUMAN BISHOP CHESS PIECE ON CHESS BOARD GRAEME DRINKING FROM COMBINATION WINE SHOT GLASS CHESS PIECE LORD OF THE RINGS MERCHANDISE DISPLAY AT ROYAL SELANGOR HEADQUARTERS' SHOWROOM DISPLAY OF LORD OF THE RINGS WINE SHOT GLASS CHESS PIECES GRAEME ANTHONY TALKING TO VISITORS AT SHOWROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROYAL SELANGOR LORD OF THE RINGS MERCHANDISE DESIGNER GRAEME ANTHONY SAYING: "Well the book gave me some very powerful images when I researched the characters, I thought about the way the characters fitted in the book. And when I started to carve them, I already formed a mental image of what I wanted and as I was carving, the images took on a greater form and a shape. It evolved slowly as it was being sculpted." ARAGORN GOBLET RING GOBLET ARAGORN WINE SHOT GLASS CHESS PIECE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROYAL SELANGOR INTERNATIONAL MANAGING DIRECTOR YONG POH KON SAYING: "I think there is a very strong following of Tolkien's fans throughout the world and I am sure this line will be very well received as it is being distributed throughout the world."
  • Embargoed: 27th December 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KUALA LUMPUR AND SELANGOR, MALAYSIA
  • Country: Malaysia
  • Topics: Business,Environment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVABUW42PWJ4DGAMS03UNFKKE18X
  • Story Text: Frodo the hobbit, wizard Gandalf and Saruman will come alive at the movies this month and - inevitably - the release of a 'blockbuster' family movie will spawn its share of merchandising 'tie-ins'.
    Famed Malaysian pewtermaker Royal Selangor believes it has got ahead of the game with a Lord of the Rimgs collection, featuring an unusual chess set with pieces which double as wine and shot glasses.
    Characters from J.R.Tolkien's acclaimed Lord of the Rings book will come to life in a film of the same name this December but related merchandise is already on sale in Malaysia.
    Renowned Malaysian pewtermaker Royal Selangor is releasing new merchandise on the market as it expands its 'Lord of the Rings' line which it started several years ago.
    Popular characters from Tolkien's Middle Earth take pride of place in the collection made from pewter, an alloy comprising mainly tin.
    Tin was once abundant in Malaysia where Royal Selangor was founded in 1885 to make pewterware.
    Australian designer Graeme Anthony created the Lord of the Rings merchandise and the pride of his collection is his 'War of the Rings' chess set, which features the combination drinking glass-chess pieces. The chess set made its debut this year.
    Products in the Lord of the Rings' range also take the form of characters such as Frodo the Hobbit, Gandalf the Wizard, Saruman, the evil wizard and Sauron, the evil king.
    Anthony, who was a teacher before training as a chiropractor, has combined his love for sculpture, wine and chess in his 'War of the Rings' chess set.
    He says his experience as a chiropractor gave him an understanding of the human form that is invaluable to his work as a sculptor.
    Anthony, an avowed Lord of the Rings fan, is now working on other pieces to further expand his collection.
    "Well the book gave me some very powerful images, when I researched the characters, I thought about the way the characters fitted in the book. And when I started to carve them, I already formed a mental image of what I wanted and as I was carving, the images took on a greater form and a shape.
    It evolved slowly as it was being sculpted," Anthony said.
    Royal Selangor is confident that the 'Lord of the Rings' pewter merchandise will be a popular item among consumers, considering the publicity the movie is expected to generate.
    "I think there is a very strong following of Tolkien's fans throughout the world and I am sure this line will be very well received as it is being distributed throughout the world,"
    said Royal Selangor International managing director Yong Poh Kon.
    And sales have so far been encouraging in the run-up to the movie's international release on December 10.
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