Master JP Goban Maker exhibits in Beijing

[tchan001]

It's a very thick cut of wood which requires a very old tree. Just look at how close the rings are.
It looks like it doesn't have any defects which is also very rare.
It takes many years to dry such a thick piece of kaya before it's stable enough to use for making a goban.
The wood is also cut so the lines formed by the grain of the wood runs straight up and down the board. You can't just cut up a tree any old way to get this type of pattern.
The wood is probably be Hyuga Kaya which in itself is very rare and valuable.
And the board is made and signed by one of the most famous goban makers in all of Japan, the only one who still uses a samurai sword to do the lacquer dipping.

According to "The Go Player's Almanac 2001",

With the sole exception of Yosida Torayoshi (b. 1927), who signs his board Ichinyo and is the best known maker today, a real samurai sword is no longer used.

[jts]

what's nice about these boards?

What's not to like?

...

I agree with tchan that the rings are nicely spaced, but what with the glare we're looking at a big ol' sheet of plastic. If you think those boards look nice, then you would be equally happy with an enormous block of plastic, on which you can draw whatever sort of lines you like. Alternatively, you could make the board out of any sort of wood, and then slap on a heavy veneer to get the right chintzy feel.

I have no quarrel with people who like their objets d'art shiny and plastic, of course. It's not my own aesthetic preference.

[Horibe]

[I agree with tchan that the rings are nicely spaced, but what with the glare we're looking at a big ol' sheet of plastic. If you think those boards look nice, then you would be equally happy with an enormous block of plastic, on which you can draw whatever sort of lines you like. Alternatively, you could make the board out of any sort of wood, and then slap on a heavy veneer to get the right chintzy feel.

I have no quarrel with people who like their objets d'art shiny and plastic, of course. It's not my own aesthetic preference.

And you are clearly entitled to your opinion. Certainly it would be absurd to spent a fortune on the "perfect" yellow Kaya board, when, in fact, you prefer, say, the dark brown of Katsura or whatever. The responses you have received explain quite well why these boards are indeed works of art, and, at least substantially, justify their value.

Of course, if you are simply joking about the saran wrap - fine.

Personally, I love them - but that does not make me right and you wrong, and the better for your check book.

[tj86430]

what's nice about these boards?

What's not to like?

...

I agree with tchan that the rings are nicely spaced, but what with the glare we're looking at a big ol' sheet of plastic. If you think those boards look nice, then you would be equally happy with an enormous block of plastic, on which you can draw whatever sort of lines you like. Alternatively, you could make the board out of any sort of wood, and then slap on a heavy veneer to get the right chintzy feel.

I have no quarrel with people who like their objets d'art shiny and plastic, of course. It's not my own aesthetic preference.

So, if there is something beautiful, but it is wrapped in see-through plastic, we can no longer say it's beautiful, because we are really looking at plastic?

[daniel_the_smith]

I have no quarrel with people who like their objets d'art shiny and plastic, of course. It's not my own aesthetic preference.

If I owned it... I'd be taking the plastic off when I took it home. I'm assuming it's just there so it doesn't get messed up while on display.

[tchan001]

Yes the plastic is purely for protection so that the product can remain in pristine condition while it's on display. People who are willing to pay such a premium for such a perfect item naturally expect such care. Any damage would instantly lower the value of the product before it's sold.

[jts]

There seems to be some misunderstanding. Perhaps I was not direct enough. I'm aware that these boards are wrapped in plastic, and that the plastic protects the wood and preserves the value, and that when the buyer removes the plastic (one hopes that) he finds a very attractive board underneath.

But a number of people commented on being impressed by the boards in the slideshow, which I found curious, given that (irrespective of their eventual fate) all of the boards are currently wrapped in plastic. And I got some interesting responses. Ed is not impressed by the appearance of the boards themselves, but by the information conveyed in the captions; tchan likes the spacing of the rings in one of the slides. Legitimate points. That the board will look nicer when the plastic is taken off, though, is rather beside the point, since my question is why people find them attractive on the basis of the slideshow.

[EdLee]

There seems to be some misunderstanding. ... Ed is not impressed by the appearance of the boards themselves, but by the information conveyed in the captions

There seems to be some misunderstanding. I only gave the facts. Please don't put words into my mouth or impressions into my brain.

[tj86430]

There seems to be some misunderstanding.

Indeed there was. Thanks for explaining. Now I understand your point.

[tchan001]

Even with the plastic wrapper, you can see the following:

The even color of the wood
The closely spaced rings
The cut of the wood leading to very straight lines on the top face of the goban
The lack of defects (no knots or cracks, etc.) on all faces shown (even the bottom)
The "Hands Off" sign in front of each goban.
The signature of the master goban maker at the bottom
The certificate of guarantee from the master goban maker with his photo during the lacquer dipping with the samurai sword.
Then there is the picture of Go Seigen in the magazine article sitting in front of one of his boards.

That's pretty impressive to me from just looking at the pictures in the slideshow.

[p2501]

The more I look at those photos the more I want one, though I said to myself to only get one when I hit shodan through EGF-rating ^^.

How good of a goban can I expect from around 2k euro? How much difference is there really between hon-kaya and shin-kaya(spruce?)?

[tj86430]

The more I look at those photos the more I want one, though I said to myself to only get one when I hit shodan through EGF-rating ^^.

How good of a goban can I expect from around 2k euro? How much difference is there really between hon-kaya and shin-kaya(spruce?)?

Are you looking for a tabletop board or a floor goban? With 2K (around 200K Yen) you can get an excellent tabletop goban, and a fairly good floor goban too. See e.g. http://www.kurokigoishi.co.jp/english/o ... index.html

With that kind of money available to purchase a goban, one should not look at anything else than kaya (either hyuga-kaya or hon-kaya)

[tchan001]

Hon-kaya is the same type of wood as Hyuga kaya, but just grown in other parts of Japan thus it is cheaper. Kind of like grapes being grown in different places. Basically Hon-kaya boards are just about as wonderful as a Hyuga kaya board. Shin-kaya on the other hand is not kaya at all, just an imitation. The rings of the tree of a shin-kaya board would normally be have much wider spacing and thus show that the tree does not take as many years to grow.

I'd definitely say go for hon-kaya.

[go west young man]

If I owned it... I'd be taking the plastic off when I took it home.

Mine didn't come with the plastic. Maybe I could get some and see what it's like.

[Mike Novack]

Actually, slightly surprising to see these boards wrapped in plastic rather than with museum type glass covers that would show them off to better effect while still protecting them. Obviously a lot more expensive than a sheet of plastic but consiering the price of the boards, a trivial difference.

Perhaps intended but didn't arrive and so the plastic wrap an improvisation?