Well I found this go board recently and know absolutely nothing about it...It is in excellent/new condition and very heavy, it measures 18" x 16 11/16" and is 5 3/8" thick. The wood grain is beautiful and very tight. It is signed on the bottom (I have no idea what it says). On one corner of board it appears damaged, but I think it is just the edge of the block, where the wood ran out. The legs are hand carved along with the carved center at bottom. it has a custom paper/cardboard glossy cover made to fit perfectly. Any info as to type of wood, translation of inscription, would be much apprecited

here are some additional pics

Merged threads for you; no need for 2 separate threads.

Thanks for merging the thread, I see that a lot of people have look at this post, but no replies?

Guess no one knows any more about it than I do

Thanks
Jim

Its a really beautiful board. I have to turn my computer monitor sideways to read the writing. I recognize a few characters, but not enough to read it.

like 右 (right) -- but I'm sure its probably part of somebody's name.

That's not 右; it's 石(stone) (...or possibly 戸?)
梅(plum)級(grade) = plum grade, but I don't know how they grade gobans.

級 = kyuu = class/grade = the same character (and meaning) as in 4k (4th kyuu).

梅級 逸石 文麟桓

Maybe Mr. Kuroki can tell you its origin.

haha, you're right. total misread on my part.

and I usually can recognize kyu, but not in calligraphy

A google search found this same signature, 逸石 文麟桓 on a board in a cyberoro article from a couple of years ago.
http://www.cyberoro.com/column/writer_v ... 753&m_div=

Thanks, xed_over. Now we need someone who knows Korean (or Google? ) to translate that text.

according to cyberoro..someone try to interperate that as..:
build bright and sturdy writing shape on top of comfortable stone.
someone must have gave that board as a gift to someone hoping that they play intelligently cautiously and shine the light.

according to another source i found...
逸石 is pen name and 文麟桓 is persons's name.
he is name of a representitive of Han-il go board.

you take a pick..

_________________
"The more we think we know about
The greater the unknown"
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson

Re: the site with korean text and a picture with a similar inscription. The following is from a friend.

"Just looking over that passage. Is that all of it? I don't think it actually says what the characters translate to - just says that he/she didn't know what the meaning of it was because it was in Hanja. It says he took a picture of it and searched the internet, and that that was a really good method? hahaha...I realize this kinda sounds like Engrish right now....the only part I'm not quite sure about is the second to last sentence - it says he took a picture of it and there was a......raised part? elevated part? those two words, "올리신 분이" can mean a lot of different things and I'm not sure how it's meant here. The word for part, 분, can also mean person, but I don't think that's how it's meant here :/ Any more context that you have that might help?"

_________________
Life is what you make of it, as long as you live.

Thanks for the replys, anyone have an idea about the wood type? Know its hard to tell from just a picture. How about the value. What's it worth?
Thanks
Jim

if it is made out of ginko tree ... it worth close to Million dollar.
but..it probably is not made out of ginko tree.
it is probably made out of atathis imported from Indonesia.

edit: i found out exact price for that
it is 390,000 won = $350 (us dollar)

you are welcome.

_________________
"The more we think we know about
The greater the unknown"
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson

I did some research on what your board possibly could be.


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梅級 as noted before is probably a grade for the goban. I have no idea what rank 梅級 would be nor what constitutes the scale of the grading.


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逸石 seems to be a Chinese calligrapher from Zhejiang
http://artist.artxun.com/73481-yishi/


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文麟桓

桓 is a name for the Chinese soapberry tree.

http://dictionary.sina.com.tw/word/ce/%AE%D9
Chinese soapberry [Sapindus mukurossi]

http://www.sapindusmukorossi.com/
The tree can reach a height of 25 m (82 ft) and a girth of 3 to 5 m (9-16 ft) in nearly 70 years of its existence. The wood is hard and light yellow in color. It is close-grained and compact weighing about 30 kg (66 lbs) per cubic foot. The wood is utilized for rural building construction, oil and sugar presses, and agricultural implements.


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Based on the spacing 文麟 is used to describe the wood.

http://baike.baidu.com/view/3243079.htm
There is reference to 文麟 as a Qing Dynasty general. So maybe there is a special type of Chinese soapberry tree named after this general. Doubtful.


http://www.dg328.com/fujian_119/fj_company_27475.html
There is reference to a company called 莆田市涵江区文麟工艺厂 which does work with artistic wood carving items production (木工艺品雕刻).


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So my conclusion based on my best guess is that your 梅級 grade board is made of Chinese soapberry by the woodworking company which has 文麟 in it's name. And the board was possibly signed by the Zhejiang calligrapher 逸石.

I have no proof of the above statement but merely base it on what I can glean from the internet.

_________________
http://tchan001.wordpress.com
A blog on Asian go books, go sightings, and interesting tidbits
Go is such a beautiful game.

tchan001, interesting. Thanks.

you dont need to do more research on this subject..
above quote is correct.
if you go to han-il go board website you can find exactly same board.
according to the writing board grade is #5

_________________
"The more we think we know about
The greater the unknown"
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson

Magicwand is right. Here's a link:

http://hanilbadook.com/intr/intr_01.asp

You can see the CEO's signature at the bottom of the page.

Well so much for research. At least we know what it's about now.

_________________
http://tchan001.wordpress.com
A blog on Asian go books, go sightings, and interesting tidbits
Go is such a beautiful game.

Thanks, magicwand.

Surely a board like this is worth more than $350 USD?

Same kind of board is available from Yutopian for $295 + $25 shipping: https://www.yutopian.com/yutop/cat?prod ... category=t

I think the one from the Korean site included a set of bowls and stones.