From clay to chess

The process

Three weeks. Three stages. No shortcuts.

Hands shaping a clay chess board on the studio bench

Sculpt

We start with a fresh block of modelling clay. The board is rolled, cut, and pressed by hand, square by square. Each piece is shaped on the bench and detailed with simple tools while the clay is still soft.

Cure

Boards and pieces rest on open shelves and air-cure slowly over several days. No oven, no kiln — the clay sets at room temperature into a firm, durable form that keeps every fingerprint and tool mark.

Finish

Once cured, each piece is hand-painted in small batches — earthy mattes, deep blacks, bone whites — sealed for protection, paired, weighted with felt, and signed before it ships.