Edo
Blind - Mr Yoshihiro Tanaka
By weaving together natural materials such as bamboo, bush clover
and reed, Mr Tanaka makes a wide variety of products, from elegant
bamboo blinds to tablemats. |
Paper Lantern - Mr Shunji Onda
Rather making the lanterns themselves, a paper lantern craftsman’s
job is to draw family crests and Japanese characters onto their
surfaces. Mr Onda follows traditional painting techniques while
adopting modern techniques such as printing photos onto the
lanterns. |
Japanese Scissors - Mr Iwao Kawasumi
Tachi-basami scissors were developed in the Meiji Era by crossing
Western scissors with Japanese sword smithing techniques. When
making these special scissors for ikebana, bonsai and other
crafts, Mr Kawasumi always puts an emphasis on practicality
and functional beauty. |
Tortoiseshell Work - Mr Minoru Isogai
Tortoiseshell gains its depth and thickness by building up several
layers of shell. This painstaking process requires the right
water, temperature and degree of pressure, as well as a craftsman’s
intuition. Mr Isogai makes traditional accessories such as Kimono
belt stoppers, chopsticks as well as pendants and necklaces.
|
Edo Embroidery - Mr Teruo Komuro
Edo embroidery’s distinctive feature lies
in its patterns which are more tightly woven and defined than
those of other regions. A thick thread is twisted tightly to
give the embroidery a three-dimensional nature. Mr Komuro speciality
is embroidering family crests. |
Tsumami
Kanzashi - Mr Ichiro Ishida
Tsumami literally means “to pinch”
and it describes a process in traditional craft where a small,
square-shaped piece of cloth, usually made of fine silk, is
“pinched”. This small but eye-catching article is
typically used as a hair accessory for young women wearing kimonos
at celebrations such as New Year’s Day. |
