The original Bauhaus Chess Set by Josef Hartwig (1923) – maple cubes and spheres that turn strategy into pure form. Numbered edition.

• Designer – Josef Hartwig, Bauhaus Weimar, 1923
• 32 pieces + storage box · Maple wood, silk-matt lacquer
• Board size 14″ (36 cm) · Square 1.75″ (4.5 cm)
• Minimal forms: rook = cube, bishop = diagonal cross, knight = L-block
• Numbered & supplied with certificate (naef edition)

Design Philosophy

Hartwig reduced each chess piece to its movement logic: the rook’s straightlines become a cube; the bishop’s diagonal path, a chiselled cross; the knight,an L-shaped block. No ornament, no figurines – only pure geometry, perfectlyechoing the Bauhaus credo “form follows function”. The result is bothdesign icon and playful manifesto against war symbolism in traditionalchess sets.

Materials & Dimensions

Pieces are hand-crafted from solid maple, finished with a silky lacquer thatbrings out the wood grain. The foldable board doubles as a storage box –protecting the pieces and turning the set into a sculptural object when closed.

How to Use & Display

Whether on a coffee table, office shelf or museum pedestal, this chess setsparks conversation. Its clear forms make it ideal for design schools, creativestudios and thoughtful gifts for architects or modern-art lovers.

FAQ

Is it an authorised edition?
Yes – naef produces the set under official Bauhaus licence and numbers everybox.

Can children play with it?
Absolutely. The pieces are robust maple; recommended age 6 +. The abstractshape even helps beginners visualise each move.