Curious Lot of Heads Hand-carved from Old Spools

I found these all together in an old cardboard box—all but two of them carved from old thread spools. I believe they were intended to be pieces on a chess board, and there are enough here to make up one side (16), though apart from the queen, and one helmeted knight, I am not quite sure who is who! What a fun bunch though, well done and representing quite a cast of characters. I especially love the use of found color, and the preservation of the top and bottom of the spool on most, which has the added value of making them easily stackable. An instant collection!

Red knight: 2 7/16” t x 1 5/8” d. Sold as a lot, 18 total. Good condition, with a few minor losses here and there. Just one among them carved with a face on both front and back.