This set came to Baduk Club from a private home in Tochigi, Japan. The seller inherited it from his grandfather, but no longer plays.
The board is a single-piece of Kaya, cut in the Plain-sawn style (Kiomote). This cutting style shows off the endgrain where you will sit, so you can view the beautiful growth rings. The sides feature some heartwood lines, and the playing surface has a unique ripple pattern like a contour map of mountain ridges. The edges and corners are in great shape, thanks to the protective lid (included). There are incidental marks, which cannot be helped with a used board. There is a crack on the underside but this should not be a problem; Kaya blocks are cured for 10 years before being shaped into a board, the result is that the board is very stable and very dense. The cured resin gives it a unique sweet smell.
The board and stones are both a bit dirty, and will look much better after a cleaning. The paulownia lid is included, but it may need to be reglued.
The bowls are size XL Quince, and they fit the stones comfortably. They have their original finish in excellent shape. On the underside a valuable maker's mark is visible.
The stones are a full set of slate and shell. The 180 white stones are clamshell, with a dark orange color when backlit and straight lines - these may be Japanese clamshells. At 9.5mm thick they are very substantial but would benefit from a soak in oxygenated water. The 181 black pieces are thicker than the white to account for black's slimming effect.
Shipping Details:
FedEx Airmail shipping from Japan is already included, there will be no additional fee at checkout. Please allow one week for handling, then we will email you a tracking notifications.
