North animals from "Animals of the North vs. Animals of the South" chess set

This porcelain menagerie, a rare example of late-era Russian avant-garde, holds both historic and artistic value. Instead of traditional chess pieces, animals from the North and South face off on the board. This unique setup invites a playful rephrasing of the popular chess saying, “Bad is a pawn that does not dream of becoming a queen.” In this context, we might say, “Bad is the squirrel who does not dream of becoming a bear!” or “Bad is the monkey who does not dream of becoming a lion!” As you have already guessed, in this set the pawns are represented by squirrels for the north and monkeys for the south.