Tuesday, July 3, 2012

A Battlefield in Black and White

Yesterday I posted And Now for Something Completely Different, which showed the ice cream cake I made with Marzipan chess pieces on top. Today, to continue the same theme, I present a chess set I made out of clay some years back. Don't expect any 'regularity' in these pieces: one pawn is not exactly the same as another, as each was sculpted (rather than molded) individually. This, I believe, is the charm of the set. 

Every chess set has a worldview behind it. 
  • The king is frail and old. Knowing his weakness he is trembling in fear under his fur coat. 
  • The queen is young and forceful. She has no doubt that she is the real power around here. 
  • The Bishop thinks himself a war hero, striking a Napoleonic pose with hands behind his back. 
  • The pawns are sent to the battlefield ill-equipped, scared to death, and barefoot.




12 comments:

  1. Oh, wow! I would love to play with those hand-sculpted pieces. Mind you, my thoughts will probably begin to drift, and that would be the end of me.

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  2. How much I yearn to feel them in my hands, this is awesome. :-)

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  3. Replies
    1. These are beautiful! So original with pieces that are actual characters. I love it. Thanks for sharing.

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    2. Thank you Pam, it's my pleasure!

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  4. Beautiful pieces and delicious looking board.

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