Chess set pieces by Man Ray

Barbican Shop Verified independent store

→

In this set, the Surrealist artist Man Ray translates traditional chess pieces into pure geometric forms abandoning all classical and figurative characteristics used to define the pieces. Instead, he composed them of pure Euclidean geometric “ideal forms” - cube, sphere, pyramid and cone. Dadaist that he was, one discordant form was interjected into the set. He based the form of the Knight on a found object in his studio, the head scroll of a violin. Materials Pieces: Solid beech wood with clear lacquered and black painted finishes; wool felt pads are under each chess piece. Dimensions Pieces: Bishop: H: 2.75”, King & Queen: H: 3.25”, Knight: H: 2”, Rook and Pawn: H: 1.4” Show more