Calder’s avant-garde 1944 chess set, reborn through 3D scanning.
Released by Cahiers d'Art in collaboration with the Calder Foundation, this collector's edition brings Alexander Calder’s iconic 1944 game design into the present day. Originally created for the historic The Imagery of Chess exhibition, this was the exact set Calder kept in his Connecticut home for his own personal play.
True to the artist's signature wit, this set redefines the rules of the game. Instead of black and white, the pieces are rendered in vibrant red and blue. The queen stands taller than the king—a deliberate nod to matriarchal balance—while an oversized knight disrupts traditional strategy. Using detailed 3D scans of the original handmade pieces, each component is precisely milled from solid ash wood to preserve Calder’s hands-on work. It functions simultaneously as an engaging game and a stunning sculpture for your coffee table. Calder’s work is represented in MoMA’s collection.
Features of the Alexander Calder Chess Set include:
3D-Scanned Authenticity: Precisely milled from solid ash wood using 3D scans of Calder’s original 1944 handmade pieces.
Subverted Design: Features Calder's signature red-and-blue color palette, an empowered extra-tall queen, and an oversized knight.
Official Collaboration: Produced in exclusive partnership between Cahiers d'Art and the Calder Foundation.
Complete Suite: Includes 32 painted wood pieces with canvas storage bags, a wooden board, a display tray, and two archival prints from Calder’s Chess Knightmares drawing series.
Premium Presentation: Arrives beautifully housed in a deluxe presentation box.
Smallest piece: 2.4"h
Largest piece: 5.25"h
Board: 0.4h x 17.75w x 18.2"d
Designer
Alexander Calder
Size
Smallest piece: 2.4"h Largest piece: 5.25"h Board: 0.4h x 17.75w x 18.2"d
Material
Ash Wood
Year of Design
1944
Origin
China
Special shipping charge of $250.00
Shipping Method: Front Door Delivery
This item cannot be shipped outside of the contiguous U.S.
This item is final sale and non-returnable.
$9.95 Flat standard shipping fee available.
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Authenticity Guarantee
At MoMA Design Store, all of the designs we sell are curator-approved and authentic. We ensure the integrity of our products through research and by working closely with the designers. Our products embody the spirit of good design objects in MoMA's collection. Some of them are actual designs represented in the Museum's collection.
