Contemporary Master Go board Craftsman Mr.Kumasu made China grown Hon Kaya Masame Go board with legs 6.4-sun / 19.4 cm thick No.71138

Each of the four legs of this Go board was meticulously hand-carved by the artisan, Mr. Kumasu.
Although there are multiple natural habushi marks (growth spots) on the legs, this is a masterpiece that showcases the craftsmanship of contemporary master artisan Mr. Kumasu, evident in the chamfering along the board’s edges, the gracefully flowing curves of the legs, and the fine details of the tachimori line drawing.
This is a beautiful board with fine, straight tenmasa (perfectly straight quarter-sawn grain) grain running consistently across the top surface.
On the underside, there is a handwritten inscription reading ‘Crafted by Kenichi Kumasu, Contemporary Master Artisan’ along with his seal.
Includes a paulownia wood cover bearing the same inscription, ‘Crafted by Kenichi Kumasu, Contemporary Master Artisan,’ with his seal on the inside.

*Please check the photo images.

Mr. Kenichi Kumasu, a Go board craftsman based in Aya Town, Miyazaki Prefecture, was recognized as a "Contemporary Master Craftsman" by the Japanese government on November 8, 2019.
This prestigious title is awarded to individuals with outstanding skills and achievements in various fields, including traditional crafts and performing arts.

Kaya is regarded as one of the best materials to make Go and Shogi boards, because of its good sound and feel when placing the stones, moderate elasticity, beautiful grain, color, gloss and luster, and aroma.
There are three types of kaya trees: "Hyuga kaya" which is grown and harvested in a mountainous area in the southern part of Kyushu, Japan, "Japanese-grown honkaya" which is grown in other areas of Japan, and "China-grown honkaya" which is mainly grown in Yunnan Province, China. Generally, Japanese-grown honkaya is said to be better than Chinese honkaya in terms of quality.
Chinese kaya tends to be less valued than Japanese kaya due to its reddish wood color, wood quality, and rarity, but this material is often sold at a relatively affordable price for a high-quality board.

*Go board materials are explained detail in "How to choose a board".
Please take a look.
Go to "How to choose a board".

"Masame" cutting style has masame (straight grain) only on the top surface of the board.
The bottom surface has "Itame (flat grain)".
The general "Masame" boards belong to this type.
The top surface is beautifully finished so the "Masame" board is highly valued.

*Go board cutting styles are explained detail in "How to choose a board".
Please take a look.
Go to "How to choose a board".

• Product : Contemporary Master Go board Craftsman Mr.Kumasu made China grown Hon Kaya made Masame Go board with legs (6.4-sun / 19.4 cm)
  Product No. : No.71138
  Size (height × width × thick ×leg)：
  461 mm × 430 mm × 194 mm × 120 mm
  Weight : About 20.9 kg
  Included：Certificate, Paulownia cover and Cotton cover


• 1,000 JPY flat rate shipping within Japan, free shipping for purchases totaling 20,000 JPY or more.
  Please bear the actual cost for shipping charges outside Japan.

You may find small knots, burrs, rolled-in bark as all these products are made of natural trees.
There may be some small flaw or scratch, dent, chipping.