Life In 19x19

I've been told that my family in China (pre-1940s) sometimes hosted visiting intellectuals that played Go on fancy equipment made of precious materials and gemstones.

I'd like to recreate, in looks if not expense, a set in this style. I can find almost nothing searchable in English or Chinese about what they were made of or even common colors used.

The oldest boards seem to be made of stone or semi-precious stone. Who first made boards out of wood? Of course, perhaps only the stone ones survived centuries.

Did Chinese-style single-convex pebble-like pieces evolve into double-convex in Japan, or was it the reverse? I've seen old pieces that are taller and not pebble-like. What influences did Korea make in ancient or modern Go?

I've some boards (online also) with decoration on the board surface. I haven't seen any old boards with this, a clue or only a recent style?

One plan is to make a board surface from router-engraved marble and then mount into a short, enamel/inlaid square table. A brightly colored engineered stone might work too.

Getting a better idea of what shape the pieces should be might advise what they are made of. Hopefully nothing likely to shatter into a thousand pieces!

Comments or ideas? Thanks for reading along!

An ancient go board from China is stored in the Shosoin in Nara, Japan. It presumably originated in China. You can see a picture of it by Googling "Nara Go board" This is an ancient treasure so I doubt it was the sort of thing (rare wood, inlaid images, carved go stones, etc.), used in China in the 1930's but the style might be what you want. Go stones made from jade were probably the kind of "jewel stones you mentioned. Jade stones have been available in Japan andnow in China for decades.
This link: http://www.yutopian.com/go/gallery/qing.html describes the common use in upper social strata of jade stones in the Qing dynasty (1600's to 1911). Alibaba sells jade stones.

Very helpful, thanks!

Many chess boards are made of marble or calcite. Mexican calcite, improperly called "onyx", can have different colours. Here's an example of green/orange one : http://www.geoforum.fr/topic/15180-jeu- ... u-calcite/
I have another one that is white and yellow, and there was a pink one at the same shop.

True onyx is black and white, and is much more expensive.

If the stones and the board are both in stone, I guess that semi-convex stones are required. Biconvex stones would spin and swing after being played. And they would become worn after some time, being hit against stone repeatedly.

Pio2001 wrote:Here's an example of green/orange one : http://www.geoforum.fr/topic/15180-jeu- ... u-calcite/.

Beautiful set!

Pio2001 wrote: Biconvex stones would spin and swing after being played. And they would become worn after some time, being hit against stone repeatedly.

Spin and swing, yes. But become worn? Not jade stones of either sort (jadeite or nephrite). Not even were the stone of the board white granite. The various jades are all well above 7 on the hardness scale, some close to 8.