Alice Holttum

furniture maker

Gallery

This piece was commissioned by a client looking for a bespoke board for an heirloom Jaques of London boxwood and ebony chess set. It is made from a hinged solid base with hand cut squares veneered to the top.

The wood for the base was retrieved from a storeroom; it had previously been used as a worktop on a fridge for many years and is possibly American walnut. When the old finish was removed the grain was found to be highly characterful.

The playing area is composed of sycamore and rosewood veneer squares. The edging is made of scraps of walnut and what appeared to be padauk; these were laminated, along with some of the rosewood veneer, then planed smooth and mitred at the corners. The fittings - hinges and clasp - are brass plated.​

Chessboard

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