Chinese Weiqi Table, Century 1850

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By the most modest estimates, the Chinese game of weiqi, more commonly known as Go, predates chess by over 800 … Read more By the most modest estimates, the Chinese game of weiqi, more commonly known as Go, predates chess by over 800 years. Skill in the "Encircling Game" was considered one of the four cultivated arts of the Chinese gentleman scholar. Accomplishments in weiqi - combined with calligraphy, painting, and musical proficiency - was a sign of a well-rounded mind. This table would have been a prized possession, allowing a Qing-dynasty scholar to test his mind from the comfort of his studio. The elegant simplicity of the carved elmwood body supports a rich stone panel incised with the geometric lines that define a weiqi board. In twenty years of collecting, we have never encountered another such table and consider it a true prize. See less