playing surface of one piece of huang huali; framed with 5/8 in. border of zitan; corners of brass; inlay forms playing surface

Game Board, 17th century

Unknown artist, expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

The Chinese have played weiqi, or go, since ancient times and it is first mentioned in the Confucian classics of the fifth century B.C. Both men and women of the educated class played weiqi and to the literati, it became a symbol of the intellect. This huanghuali board is framed in jichimu hardwood and inlaid with silver. One side is a board for weiqi, while the reverse is a board for chess, or xiangqi or elephant chess. The fluted bowls, used to hold the stone weiqi markers are also made of huanghuali wood. They are fashioned in the shape of a melon and the round lids are carved with an eight-pointed star pattern. These containers are generally made in a size that can be easily held in the palm of the hand. Weiqi markers during Qing were generally made from stone or glass.

Details
Title
Game Board
Role
Artist
Accession Number
96.12.2.1
Curator Approved

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playing surface of one piece of huang huali; framed with 5/8 in. border of zitan; corners of brass; inlay forms playing surface