Game Boards on Chinese Rugs

In the world of Chinese rugs we find a subgrouping in which seemingly inanimate objects are pictorially portrayed in a couple of ways. Wether these objects float around the field, or are visually arranged as a still life, it is clear that their continued usage over time pegs them as not inanimate, but rather objects of historical or cultural importance. These objects tell a story about history and tradition, and are symbols of cultural pride.

In this post we will look specifically at game boards, in particular the game of Go (Weiqi) – an abstract strategy board game in which the aim is to surround more territory than your opponent. The game was invented in China more than 2,500 years ago and is believed to be the oldest board game continuously played through present day. If that’s not something to be proud of, I don’t know what is.

“The standard Go board has a 19×19 grid of lines, containing 361 points. Beginners often play on smaller 9×9 and 13×13 boards, and archaeological evidence shows that the game was played in earlier centuries on a board with a 17×17 grid.”

wikipedia

Similarly, the game of Fangqi is played traditionally in Northern China as a training tool for Weiqi. Board sizes for this game vary by region – with NingXia employing a 7×8 grid, and Xinjiang utilizing a 7×7 grid for example. The rules may also vary depending on the size of the board, but the basics remain constant throughout place and time.

I suppose the real question is, can the grid size of the boards displayed be used as a point of reference to aid in the proper categorization of a carpets’ origin? After copious amounts of hours counting grid squares of board games on rugs, I have determined that the answer is generally no. The size of the grid seems to align more with the overall size of the carpet rather than its place of origin, and a 6×6 grid seems to be the most standard configuration in the woven representation of the game.

Regardless of the accuracy of visual representation, the fact that this board is most often displayed with other objects of cultural importance (such as calligraphic tools, scrolls, and pottery) it is obvious that this is a symbol of pride for an ancient culture who’s contributions to society have endured the test of time.

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