What's the story?

For reference:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsHkygZCMAAbt8e.jpg:large

http://ancientpoint.com/imgs/a/a/w/b/x/japanese_vintage_thick_go_game_board_goban_thick_kaya_with_carved_legs_3_lgw.jpg

http://ancientpoint.com/imgs/a/a/w/b/x/japanese_vintage_thick_go_game_board_goban_thick_kaya_with_carved_legs_10_lgw.jpg

http://yfh2.chez-alice.fr/goban-leg2.jpg

Does anybody know any details behind the history of this design?

I ask partially because it's so strange from a geometric point of view. If you've ever tried to render a goban in 3d, you might have noticed that everything about a goban is trivial to make with simple shapes... except those weird-ass legs. They're, like, heptogons with lots of beveling and flourishes?

Anyway. Any outside knowledge anyone can bring to slightly assuage my curiosity would be much appreciated.

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Nate Eagle

"You see, this is why go is so difficult. But also why go is so interesting." --Yuan Zhou

Not much, but:

“octa-”, not “hepta-”

See also carving the "gardenia" legs (via http://senseis.xmp.net/?Goban)

Greetings, Tom


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Seems only appropriate to me that such a board, with the Origin of Heaven in its middle, rests on such flowers

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“The only difference between me and a madman is that I’m not mad.” — Salvador Dali ★ Play a slooooow correspondence game with me on OGS?

The legs are modeled on the buds of the plant Gardenia floribunda which is known in Japan as Kuchinashi which means "without a mouth". It is thought to refer to the custom that onlookers should not make comments (not kibitz).

somebody ought to put that on Sensei's Library somewhere.

It's there, part of http://senseis.xmp.net/?TheGameOfGoTheN ... dAndStones

What great answers. Thanks, everybody.

Though I'm sad that I misjudged the pictures... there would have been something very pleasing about heptagons.

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Nate Eagle

"You see, this is why go is so difficult. But also why go is so interesting." --Yuan Zhou

Just want to double check: the name of the plant is 梔子 (kuchinashi, gardenia floribunda),
which happens to be a homonym of 口なし, meaning "no mouth"/"mouthless"/"without a mouth" -- is this correct ?

Chicken and egg questions:

• did they first pick the shape to resemble the plant
  and later noticed the homonym 口なし meaning;
• were they using the saying 口なし first, then later noticed the homonym plant;
• it was simultaneous;
• the exact order is lost in history ?