Animals of the North vs. Animals of the South chess set

This porcelain menagerie, a rare example of late-era Russian avant-garde, possesses both historic and artistic value. The fact that animals of the North and animals of the South oppose each other on the board instead of the traditional pieces, calls for an attempt to rephrase popular chess sayings: “Bad is the squirrel who does not dream to become a bear!”, or “Bad is the monkey who does not dream to become a lion!”