Decorative Shogi Piece King

There are one king, one rook, one bishop, two gold generals, two silver generals, two knights, two lances, and nine pawns in each set of shogi, the traditional strategy board game that is often called Japanese chess. And like in chess, the king (osho) is the most crucial piece: when it gets checkmated, the player loses. The all-important osho has now inspired the Decorative Shogi Piece King, bringing the Japanese aesthetic of shogi to your home!

But there's actually more to the Decorative Shogi Piece King than a beautifully cut and finished 21 cm (8.3") piece of wood, shaped like a real shogi piece with the characters for osho carved and finished with shiny black color, and standing on an equally attractive wooden base. This small sculpture has been made in the city of Tendo in Yamagata Prefecture, famous for making koma (shogi pieces) since the Edo period (1600-1868). Local artisans would make them for the samurai, who learned shogi as part of their education and even today, the best of them, like this ornament, are still made there!

Specs and Features:

• Based on shogi king piece
• Height: approx. 21 cm (8.3")
• Comes with base
• Made in Tendo, Yamagata Prefecture