This Goban set came to Baduk Club from an antique shop in Saitama, Japan.
The go board has wavy endgrain that is unmistakably Kaya from southern Japan. Hyuga-kaya, with it's candy color and sweet scent, is the premier wood for high-quality go boards. Kaya from southern Japan in particular is incredibly dense and carries a darker color than other Kaya varieties. The cutting style is Kiura Itame. This plain-sawn style shows off the wavy endgrain on the ends where the players will sit, has straight lines on the sides, and features ripples like waves on the playing surface. The board has a raised lacquer grid made with Tachimori, and it stands 29cm tall on its legs. It weighs 19kg.
The board comes with a protective Paulownia lid - this wood of the Princess tree provides great protection against dust, mold, pests, and heat. This wood is lightweight, so it often suffers from international shipping - if it is damaged, it can be repaired easily with wood glue.
Some cracks have formed on the underside of the board, and a few extend into the lower edge of the endgrain along the pith rays. White wax residue is visible where the heartgrain gives way to endgrain, which is a good sign. Kaya boards are cured for many years before being shaped into a board, so the wood is very stable and will not come apart. The board would benefit from a gentle scrubbing and a fresh application of paste wax with a clean cotton cloth.
The bowls are a light wood, likely Keyaki or something similar like Shiochi or Cypress. They have their original finish and they fit the stones comfortably.
The stones are slate and shell, but they were not measured or counted. They look size 30 (about 8mm) and seem close to a full set. The white stones in particular look like exceptional, with their dense and tight lines - these are most likely Japanese Suwabute clamshell, but could be moon-grade Mexican clamshell. They could use a cleaning, so please refer to our Care instructions for that.
Shipping Details:
FedEx International Priority shipping is included in the purchase price, there will be no additional charge at checkout. Please allow a week for handling, then we will email you a tracking number that you can use to sign up for notifications.
