This awesome goban came to Baduk Club on consignment from a Korean player in Denver, who received this board over 20 years ago when he received his 6 dan certificate from the Korean Baduk Association (KIBA). It is signed by Kim In 9p, who spent his career as Managing Director of KIBA until he passed away in 2021.
The board is 14.8cm thick, and is most likely a Korean kaya. It has a slightly paler color than Japanese kaya, but smells just as sweet. The underside has an inscription "Seek the Truth" from Kim In 9p, and you can read more about that at r/translator. Kim In 9p was the 3rd professional in Korea promoted to 9p and was a pillar of the Go community. The caption on the left says it is Kaya, that 4 sides have straight lines, that it is 5sun thick, and that it was completed in 2002 by "文麟桓, courtesy name 逸石".
Here are the indicators of the Kaya board:
- The Cut: it is a Plain-Sawn board (Itame-Kiura) to show off the heart of the tree. This is one of the highest-regarded cuts when the tree is not large enough to be Quarter-Sawn.
- The Grain: You can see that the rings are very wavy, radiating irregularly instead of forming neat semi-circles like Spruce or Pine do. While kaya isn't a rare species, it does take 500-1000 years to grow large enough to be used for a go board.
- The Weight: for its size it is very dense. Kaya retains its resin as it cures (usually for 10 years before the board is shaped), which provides amazing longevity. I forgot to weigh it before I packed it, but the board in its box weighs 27 pounds (without legs, which weigh another 2 pounds).
- The Rings: the growth rings are quite thin because Kaya is slow-growing.
- The Color: the heartwood is a warm, uniform yellow color.
- The Scent: kaya smells sweet like patchouli, or vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves. The easiest access is in the mortices where the legs sit and the sawdust still lingers.
A plain-sawn board leaves beautiful end-grain where both players will sit, and straight lines along each side. The top and bottom have cross-grains in unique patterns like a fingerprint, based on the heartwood of the tree.
The board is in great shape, with only a few errant hits on the edges. Small dents on the surface could be lessened with a damp cloth and hot iron (see my Care instructions), but more will appear with rough play if you do not warn your opponent that Kaya is a soft wood. The board and legs could be waxed, so a 2oz tin of Monkey Wax will be included so that you can do this (if desired). The legs are stunning, with wide features and a sharply pointed double shoulder - this level of craftsmanship is very rare and beautiful.
A decorative fabric cover for the board is included, but the 6-dan certificate is not included. Bowls and stones appear in the background of some photos, but those are also not included.
Purchased new, such a board would cost about $5000 today. A full suite of photos is included so please look them over to verify the quality.
All in all, this is an outstanding vintage item. One bonus is that the board should not change shape at all because it has aged an extra 30 years in Colorado, on top of the 10 years a kaya board usually cures in the warehouse (plus a year of thermal drying).
Serious offers will be considered.
Shipping Details:
This item ships from Colorado, USA (with corner protectors). Please allow 3 business days for handling, then you will receive separate tracking notification for 2 parcels. The bowls and legs will be sent separately. If you use a hammer to reseat the legs, please be gentle and a wood, nylon, or rubber head.
Box 1 20*20*11 27.1lb
Box 2 13*8*5 2.5lb
