Kintsugi Chess Set – Japanese Inspired

A Japanese-inspired chess set built around the beauty of imperfection.

This Kintsugi Chess Set turns every piece into a small display object: elegant, sculptural chess forms repaired with flowing gold seams, inspired by the traditional Japanese art of kintsugi — where broken ceramic is restored with gold rather than hidden.

Each piece has a refined, ornamental silhouette with graceful curves, detailed bases, and dramatic vertical gold accents that make the set feel like something between a playable chess set and a collector’s display piece. The contrast between the clean matte white, deep black, and shimmering gold silk filament gives the whole board a luxurious, almost porcelain-like look.

The white pieces were printed in matte white PLA, giving them a soft ceramic-style finish.
The black pieces were printed in standard black PLA, creating a deep, glossy contrast.
The gold repair lines were printed in gold silk PLA, which catches the light beautifully and makes the kintsugi details stand out from every angle.

This set was also a perfect project to showcase multi-material / multi-nozzle printing. The gold accents are not painted on — they are printed directly into the design, giving the cracks real depth, texture, and shine. This is a perfect use case of a dual nozzle printer; these were done in the X2D.

Whether displayed on a shelf, used as a decorative chess set, or printed as a unique gift for someone who loves chess, Japan-inspired design, or elegant 3D printed objects, this set is meant to feel special.

Recommended colors:

• Matte white for the white pieces
• Standard black for the black pieces
• Gold silk PLA for the kintsugi accents

Highlights:

• Complete Japanese-inspired chess set
• Printed gold kintsugi-style repair lines
• Beautiful contrast between white, black, and gold
• Elegant ornamental piece design
• Great display piece as well as a playable chess set
• Perfect showcase for dual-color or multi-material printing

This is one of those prints where the material choice really matters: the matte white gives the pieces a calm ceramic feel, the black adds drama, and the gold silk brings the whole design to life.