This enormous Kaya goban came to Baduk Club from an antique shop in Takamatsu City, Japan. It is over 50 years old.
The board is 19cm thick. It has a gentle yellow color and a sweet scent, both consistent with Kaya wood. It comes with a protective paulownia lid. Kaya's softness provides a gentle sound when playing stones, in contrast to the sharp sound that comes from hard materials like pine or bamboo.
The legs are also Kaya and they have noble shoulders, a very good sign of quality. One leg has a sticker with a date from Showa 48, indicating that this board was originally purchased on September 14th, 1973.
A plain-sawn board like this produces beautiful end-grain where both players will sit, showing off the growth rings of the tree. This cutting style is called Kiura Itame, and is what we see on the majority of Kaya boards. The underside has some small cracks, but Kaya boards are cured for 10 before they are made, which would have been at least 60 years ago in 1963. One of the benefits of a vintage board like this is that it has had decades to reach a stable shape.
Kaya wood is dense, so it is very heavy. Packaged up with the legs and lid, it will likely be over 50 pounds (23 kg) so this will be an Oversized package. The shipping cost is factored into the price and is already included. The corners and edges are all quite good, but the underside is weathered. At the bottom of each side some discoloration may be lessened with scrubbing.
Please understand that this is a Vintage item.
Shipping Details:
FedEx International Priority shipping from Japan is already included for free. Please allow a week for packing and Customs preparations, then we will email you the tracking number so that you can sign up for shipping notifications.
