Lots of pieces! On my original claymodel I always make a plaster mould. Here you can check out the opening of my mould. First you see the original, just to give you an idea. The next photo shows you the first piece lifted carefully. To tell you a secret, I had cut of the arms, just to make it easier for me to mould the body, otherwise it would have been a lot more pieces.
What is the use of a plaster mould? I push a layer of new fresh clay inside. The clay has to dry a bit before opening the mould again. This way I can reproduce the sculpture several times.