Art meets craft: The process of making Trojan Horse Race - Ludo

Maztermind Trojan Horse Race - Ludo is all about the work of passion, the desire to touch aesthetical aspects, and the exquisite footprint on the way to reinvent the originals. To relive the visuals of Trojan warriors hidden in the shape of horses, about 15 experienced craftsmen spend nearly 20 hours on one finished production.

Being different from the traditional version, our ludo added a new touch of arts and crafts that brings more tactile playing.

From the early stages of designing to putting pieces together, Maztermind craftsmen and designers always aim to give the best finals and experience-enhancing to the beloved customers through every making process.

The Story of Legend

One of the most famous legends of all time - the Trojan Horse, is recreated in the looks of Maztermind ludo. Not only the showcase of glorious and lively features covers the pieces, but also the connection and winning aspiration in every match stand for the Trojan warriors’ spirits. 

Bravery in Creative Design

 

Art is more than just added flavor. It’s about renewing the tradition while embracing the change.

Not following the mass production, the game is where arts meet crafts, which requires experienced hands to execute every sophisticated step of manufacturing. While most of the popular ludo versions have high contrast colors, we want to innovate the Maztermind Trojan horses look being more soothing, comforting for display. The earthy hues, the classic color harmony, the soft delicate look - all together, these elements create elegant and classy inflection to the ludo pieces.

Besides the pieces, the wooden tough-looking chessboard is surrounded by a bold wall with a zig-zag top. Highlighting the battle spirit, the most remarkable detail - the central stairs are placed majestically for the horses to step to victory.

Materials Combination

To create the impressive chessboard, pinewood used as the main material not only enhances the best playing experience but also encourages a sustainable lifestyle. Players can easily divide the board into four pieces, especially when traveling. High-quality color printed on the surface helps the game stand the test of time. The natural pine resins create signature fragrance and preservation for the wood, so the craftsmen have taken this advantage to maximize the durability of the chessboard by exquisite procedures.

After the steps of making the wooden race is the creation of Trojan horses.

The vital Trojan is expressed through the look of Maztermind horses molded from cement material. Being widely used in building due to its resistance, the application of cement into a traditional game is still uncommon in home decor pieces, especially with the board game.

Inspiration from Traditional Crafts Villages

The traditional crafts villages are one of the most valuable cultures of Vietnam by the quintessential heritage through generations. Inspired by the crafts villages, our craftsmen have skillfully interwoven and manufactured some featured techniques for all the products. More than just cultural respect, we wholeheartedly want to preserve the long-time traditions when the crafting process is gradually losing its place in modern production.

Bat Trang village, where the beautiful porcelain and pottery are made, inspires the process of forming the horse pieces. The delicate and unique details require skillful experience on several stages, especially in “casting”, an age-old technique from Bat Trang. Craftsmen will start with making product mold then pouring cement mix to shape the product.

In terms of wooden treatment, Kim Bong carpentry village is well known for this particular traditional technique. The steps such as cutting wood to create a chessboard, sanding the surface are the original process of carpenters which we inherited and tried to preserve from the traditional craft villages. 

The Making Process

The making components of Ludo are divided into different parts of processing.

The wooden chess board is preserved with protective solutions then the layers will be sanded and removed any rough excess on the surface.

Veneer-cut techniques used to separate the board into 4 pieces help minimize the packaging size and stay convenient on the go. Each piece is represented by a color, printed UV in soothing earthy tones, and integrated magnetic inside for assembling.

The central stairways combined with the wall surrounding create such a realistic and vivid 3D horse race.

Following the race-making stage is the cement horse's chess. Forming, creating, and molding are some of the first steps to shape the product. The rudimentary and unsophisticated material - cement is mixed in perfect ratio then poured into mold carefully. The craftsmen also need to prevent air bubbles in injection molding to get the horse pieces the smoothest look. In the next step, the copper mane is glued behind the head, taking our pieces to the final.

The Last Note

Putting on a new look to touch up the old values, the Trojan Horse Race - Ludo enhances the experience to the next level. With the perfect combination of materials through the meticulous step-by-step crafting, the game is not only the refined entertainment to play but also to foster the spiritual connection of valuable handicrafts from the most skillful craftsmen sent to customers.