Checkmate of a Pawn


#S000 42” x 30” x 12” 50lbs.

 

Checkmate of a Pawn didn’t begin as a chess piece. No, it was simply a large piece of black walnut with a female figure in mind. Once carved she became a 5’6” standing sculpture. Bashia molds were made and I was surprised by how beautiful she was in bronze. 

I then commissioned five pieces from Bronze Plus Foundry. Once the initial 3 sculptures sold I decided I wanted each piece to be unique. It became very labor-intensive to cover her breasts with wood mosaic. I built a sheet metal cover plate which was covered with exotic hardwoods like zebra and ebony. Then chess pieces were epoxied in place. 

The transition from entirely bronze to a wood combination took 6 years, after which, I didn’t make any more multiples of my work. 

I want everything I make to be unique or one-of-a-kind.

Michael Standefer

 
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Don Quixote