Culture Insider: China, birthplace of football

What does an ancient football look like?

Cuju, as the ancestor of football, has undergone many changes throughout China's history.

During the Tang Dynasty, the original hair-stuffed ball made out of two pieces of leather was replaced by an air-filled ball made of 8 pieces of cuspate leather, making the ball rounder and lighter.

Then during the Song Dynasty, the manufacturing skill of the football further improved. The eight pieces of cuspate leather developed into 12 pieces of better feathers, and the ball was more closely jointed together, fully round, and weighing 12 liang (600g). Moreover, at the time there were already 40 different kinds of varieties, and each had its strong points and flaws.

A stone football, unearthed in Linzi, was said to be created by Emperor Huangdi.	A football made of 4 pieces (Han & Tang dynasties)	A football made of 6 pieces (Tang & Song dynasties)