{"product_id":"man-ray-chess-pieces-3-25-king","title":"Beech","description":"\u003cp\u003eMan Ray designed this chess set in 1920 using found objects from his studio. Most of the pieces are geometric models made for still-life drawing (the king is a pyramid, the queen a cone, the rook a cube, the pawn a sphere).\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe knight—the finial of a violin—was fashioned from a box of abandoned violin necks. Only a handful were ever produced (the maharajah of Indore commissioned a set made from silver-plated brass).\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003eAs well as constructing his set from practical items, Man Ray's design (just like his artwork) utilizes symbolic design.\u003cspan\u003e The King represents the Egyptian king's pyramid; the Queen is the conical headdress of a medieval queen; the Bishop represents a flask for concocting healing liqueurs. The Pawn is nearly as tall as the Rook, perhaps symbolizing the hidden importance of the Pawn in the game. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003eThis re-edition is rendered in Beech wood, as Man Ray originally intended, and is based on a set housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. To play with this set is to create a slow moving, sculptural tableau. You'll want to take your time pondering your next move.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Man Ray:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/2084\/1828\/files\/Man_Ray_1934_1.webp?v=1757211713\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003eMan Ray was an American Modernist artist who spent most of his life in Paris, France. A significant contributor to both the Dadaist and Surrealist movements, Ray was close friends with other artists at the time, including Salvador Dali and Marcel Duchamp, even including the latter in a brief scene in one of his many arthouse films:\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003eAs with Dali and Duchamp, Chess factored into many of Man Ray's works. It is no surprise, then, that he strived to design his own Chessmen!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The House of Staunton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46827303534692,"sku":"MENWRAY325-SB","price":559.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/2084\/1828\/files\/3ioiXo613b7-PEOShYZYSGPz_QE_DLcbuNzePtWf0kw.png?v=1761043050","url":"https:\/\/www.wholesalechess.com\/products\/man-ray-chess-pieces-3-25-king","provider":"Wholesale Chess","version":"1.0","type":"link"}