Lot 131: Antique "Matsushima" Japanese Folding Shogi Game Board
Epic Estate Auction: 0% Buyer’s Premium for Black Friday · Passed
← Back to Epic Estate Auction: 0% Buyer’s Premium for Black Friday · All Auctions · Search Active Lots
- Auction
- Epic Estate Auction: 0% Buyer’s Premium for Black Friday
- Lot Number
- 131
- Status
- Passed
- Hammer / Price
- Unsold
- Opening Bid
- $5.00
- Accepted Bids
- 0
- Closed
- 11/29/24 11:34 PM PT
Description
Antique "Matsushima" Japanese Folding Shogi Game Board. This antique folding game board is for playing Shogi; a two-player strategy game that is related to Xiangqi, or Chinese Chess. It is unknown when Chinese Chess was brought to Japan, but the earliest mention of "Shogi" was recorded sometime between 1058-1064 AD, with the pieces being discovered alongside a wooden tablet from 1058 AD. This means that Shogi could have existed for almost 1000 years in Japan, or even earlier. This game board is made from hard dark wood, and features handmade markings and boarders on the top surface. The game board also features a folding design with metal hinges have have clearly replaced the original hinges that came with this game board. Underneath the game board is a hand-painted katakana script that translates to "Matsushima". This could either be a family name, or a reference to the Matsushima region in Japan, which consists of 260 tiny islands in the Miyagi Prefecture. The game board measures approximately 17.5" x 15.75" x 1", and is in good condition.