Kishu Koya Kumiko Zaiku (Kishu Koya Wooden Latticework)
Kishu Koya Kumiko Zaiku (Kishu Koya Wooden Latticework)
Kishu Koya Kumiko Zaiku is a decorative woodworking technique handed down at the foot of Mount Koya (Koyasan), a World Heritage Site. Finely split pieces of wood are fitted together by hand without using any nails or the like, building up a variety of patterns as if weaving them. The main materials are the local 'Koya Rikuboku (six trees of Mount Koya)', which are strong, lustrous and easy to work. Koya Rikuboku refers to six kinds of trees: pine, fir (momi), hemlock (tsuga), Japanese cedar (sugi), Japanese cypress (hinoki) and Japanese umbrella pine (koyamaki). The craft is said to have developed in this area from techniques passed on in the Edo period by skilled kumiko craftspeople invited from Kyoto to restore the temples of Mount Koya. Geometric patterns are built up with 'mitsukude', in which three thin pieces of wood are joined into an equilateral triangle, and are used to decorate free-standing screens (tsuitate), ranma (transom panels), frames, ornaments and more. The production areas are Hashimoto, Katsuragi, Kudoyama and Koya, and in 2010 (Heisei 22) the craft became a Wakayama Prefecture Governor-Designated Local Traditional Craft.
Origin
Kishu Koya Kumiko Zaiku is said to derive from techniques passed on by skilled kumiko craftspeople who were invited from Kyoto in the Edo period to restore the temples of Mount Koya. Kumiko is a technique of creating patterns by fitting together finely split pieces of wood, and has long been used to decorate fittings such as shoji screens and ranma. At the foot of Mount Koya, the techniques were handed down while making use of local wood.
History
At the foot of Mount Koya, the techniques have been refined using the Koya Rikuboku, which are strong, lustrous and easy to work. In addition to traditional geometric patterns, new techniques such as mountain-shaped and wave-like expressions have also been created. In 2010 (Heisei 22), it became a Wakayama Prefecture Governor-Designated Local Traditional Craft as a craft of Hashimoto, Katsuragi, Kudoyama and Koya. In recent years, craftspeople have also been working to spread the techniques, for example by holding woodworking classes at local elementary and junior high schools.
Features
Its greatest characteristic is that pieces of wood are assembled entirely by hand, without using any nails or metal fittings. Based on 'mitsukude', in which three thin pieces of wood are joined into an equilateral triangle, intricate geometric patterns are created. The main materials are the Koya Rikuboku. 池田秀孝, a craftsperson in Hashimoto, devised an original technique of fitting pieces of wood of different materials and shades into the mitsukude to depict even people and landscapes.
Techniques
Mitsukude
A joint (kumite) in which three thin pieces of wood are joined into an equilateral triangle. It is the basic technique of Kishu Koya Kumiko Zaiku, in which these joints are linked together to build up geometric patterns. The shape is held only by the fitting of wood to wood, without nails or metal fittings.
The 'きのくに・千切れはめ込め' technique
A technique originally devised by 池田秀孝. Pieces of wood of different materials and shades are fitted into the mitsukude to express not only patterns but also complex pictures such as people and landscapes. For its originality and artistry, it has been approved as a Koyasan traditional technique by Kongobu-ji, the head temple.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Cutting into strips
Logs and thick timber are sawn into boards of a set size, then cut into thin strips of the required dimensions using a table saw (a woodworking machine whose blade height can be adjusted).
- 2
Kude-tori
Using homemade jigs, the parts to be joined are notched out so that the finished pieces interlock with each other. This process is called 'kude-tori'.
- 3
Assembling the base frame and trial assembly
The prepared parts are used to assemble the frame into which the patterns will be woven. Following the underdrawing, the wooden strips (san) are fitted in one by one and assembled provisionally.
- 4
Final assembly
After correcting any misalignments found during the trial assembly, the piece is assembled for good and completed.
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Artisans & Workshops
池田秀孝（号 秀峯）
Born in Hashimoto in 1946 (Showa 21). Influenced by 池田清吉, a kumiko craftsperson and 池田秀孝's father, 池田秀孝 grew familiar with kumiko from early childhood and took over the family business shortly after turning twenty. 池田秀孝 is the second generation of 池田清吉建具 and is regarded as the seventh generation of Kishu Koya Kumiko Zaiku craftspeople. In fiscal 2023 (Reiwa 5), 池田秀孝 was selected as a Wakayama Prefecture Meisho (Master Craftsperson).
FAQ
Q. What are the Koya Rikuboku?
A. The term refers to six kinds of trees: pine, fir (momi), hemlock (tsuga), Japanese cedar (sugi), Japanese cypress (hinoki) and Japanese umbrella pine (koyamaki). Kishu Koya Kumiko Zaiku mainly uses these local woods, which are strong, lustrous and easy to work.
Q. What is kumiko work used for?
A. It is used to beautifully decorate free-standing screens, ranma, frames, ornaments and more. 池田秀孝 is said to have begun making kumiko in earnest, succeeding the father's work, after receiving a request to apply kumiko to aluminum window sashes.
Q. Are there opportunities to experience kumiko work?
A. 池田秀孝 has taught woodworking classes using kumiko and graduation commemorative projects at elementary and junior high schools in Hashimoto. By combining tools that require skill with original assisting devices, 池田秀孝 has devised ways for people without experience to make kumiko work.