Japanese Treen IMG_4347 adj
The pair of Love Birds sitting on a slice of yew are from Takayama and are an example of Ichii Ittobori work (one knife wood carving).
www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/spot/handcrft/ichiiittocarvin...
The two geometric patterned pieces are yosegi-zaiku woodwork, a speciality of the Hakone region. The vase is made from a solid piece of assembled wood and the tray is veneered.
I had a pair of puzzle boxes I had bought many years ago from the 'Bits and Pieces' catalogue, and was keen to buy more of this work. You can see two of the pieces in the photo below.
Yosegi-zaiku is a type of traditional Japanese parquetry which originated during Japan’s culturally rich Edo Period. The mosaic work is made by making use of natural fine grains and textures of wood. Timbers of different colors are cut into oblong rods of desired sections. The rods are then glued together to form the section of geometrical design pattern. The sectional surface is sliced into thin plates of wood, which are glued onto boxes and other handicraft works. To add to the glaze and sturdiness of the surface, finishing coatings of lacquer are applied.
Yosegi are commonly found on the outside of Japanese secret boxes (himitsu-bako) or puzzle boxes, but may also be used to create or decorate many other items such as trays, chests, jewellery boxes, vases, photo frames, drink coasters, etc. The Yosegi puzzle boxes differ in sizes and number of moves required to open them.
The woods are not dyed. Spindle tree (Euonymus spp.) and Ilex macropoda are used for white, aged Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) for black, Picrasma quassioides, mulberry (Morus alba) and Chinese lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum) for yellow, camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) and Maackia for brown, black walnut (Juglans nigra) for purple, Japanese cucumber tree (Magnolia obovata) for blue and Chinese cedar (Toona sinensis) for red.
Japanese Treen IMG_4347 adj
The pair of Love Birds sitting on a slice of yew are from Takayama and are an example of Ichii Ittobori work (one knife wood carving).
www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/spot/handcrft/ichiiittocarvin...
The two geometric patterned pieces are yosegi-zaiku woodwork, a speciality of the Hakone region. The vase is made from a solid piece of assembled wood and the tray is veneered.
I had a pair of puzzle boxes I had bought many years ago from the 'Bits and Pieces' catalogue, and was keen to buy more of this work. You can see two of the pieces in the photo below.
Yosegi-zaiku is a type of traditional Japanese parquetry which originated during Japan’s culturally rich Edo Period. The mosaic work is made by making use of natural fine grains and textures of wood. Timbers of different colors are cut into oblong rods of desired sections. The rods are then glued together to form the section of geometrical design pattern. The sectional surface is sliced into thin plates of wood, which are glued onto boxes and other handicraft works. To add to the glaze and sturdiness of the surface, finishing coatings of lacquer are applied.
Yosegi are commonly found on the outside of Japanese secret boxes (himitsu-bako) or puzzle boxes, but may also be used to create or decorate many other items such as trays, chests, jewellery boxes, vases, photo frames, drink coasters, etc. The Yosegi puzzle boxes differ in sizes and number of moves required to open them.
The woods are not dyed. Spindle tree (Euonymus spp.) and Ilex macropoda are used for white, aged Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) for black, Picrasma quassioides, mulberry (Morus alba) and Chinese lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum) for yellow, camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) and Maackia for brown, black walnut (Juglans nigra) for purple, Japanese cucumber tree (Magnolia obovata) for blue and Chinese cedar (Toona sinensis) for red.