go-board;
go-piece
- Museum number
- 2014,3018.1
- Description
-
Set of Japanese go, comprising traditional, full-size board (goban; 19x19 grid) of wood on detachable legs of turned-wood; 180 black slate stones and 180 white shell stones (go-ishi), stored in two covered bowls (goke) of turned wood. Cloth cover for board, yellow cloth wrapper, and protective outer wood cover.
- Production date
-
1900-1940 (board)
-
1992 (bowls, playing pieces and wood cover)
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 13.60 centimetres (bowl)
-
Height: 25.90 centimetres (board (with legs))
-
Height: 9.60 centimetres (bowl)
-
Length: 44.70 centimetres (go board)
-
Width: 40.50 centimetres (go board)
- Curator's comments
- T. Mark Hall was stationed at the British Embassy in Tokyo from 1969 to 1973. During that time he developed an interest in the game of go, and in 1973, at the end of his stay, he received the go board as a gift from one of the embassy’s Japanese employees, who said it had belonged to his grandfather. Mr. Hall had the top of the board planed and professionally refinished at that time. He ordered and acquired the stones, bowls, yellow cloth cover and wood cover during a trip to Japan circa 1992. Over the years as he travelled to new postings, the set travelled with him. In 2012, the board was displayed at the Imperial War Museum.
This set centres on a traditional, professional level (19x19 grid) Japanese ‘floor board’: a thick, solid wood board with a square recessed area (heso) on its underside to deter warping and impart a pleasant resonance to the ‘click’ sound when stones are firmly set in place (a part of go etiquette). It is the most expensive type of board produced. Signs of wear around the sides of the board reflect use over time and travels with the donor. Also of high quality are the slate and shell stones, the latter perhaps being of tsuki (moon) grade (the middle grade of shell stones).
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 2014
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 2014,3018.1
