Osaka Karaki Sashimono (Osaka Exotic Hardwood Cabinetry)
Osaka Karaki Sashimono (Osaka Exotic Hardwood Cabinetry)
Osaka Karaki Sashimono (大阪唐木指物) is furniture and furnishings made from imported woods such as rosewood (shitan) and ebony (kokutan). These woods have long been called 'karaki,' meaning rare woods that came from the land of Tang (China). Sashimono refers to the technique of making furniture and boxes by joining boards together. In the Edo period, karaki was shipped into Nagasaki, and Osaka's medicinal-herb wholesalers are said to have handled all of it. Osaka thus became a place where karaki gathered, and by the mid-Edo period a production center for karaki sashimono had formed. The main products include display shelves, tea shelves, low tables for tatami rooms and flower stands. They are assembled without nails or screws, using joints called kumite. A finish in which raw lacquer is rubbed in many times produces a deep color and a calm luster. In 1977 (Showa 52), it was designated a Traditional Craft Designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Origin
Karaki products are said to have been among the items brought back by Japanese envoys to Tang China in the Nara period. The name is said to come from the fact that these items were made of rare woods not found in Japan, which came to be called 'karaki.' Osaka Prefecture, while noting that the origins are uncertain, surmises that the techniques were established around the 15th century along with the development of architectural styles. At first the quantities were small, and only a limited number of people could obtain them.
History
In the Edo period, all karaki timber is said to have been shipped into Nagasaki and taken on by Osaka's medicinal-herb wholesalers. A system for craftspeople was also established, the number of karaki craftspeople gradually grew, and Osaka became the home of karaki sashimono. Woodworking shops were once concentrated in Nishinari Ward and Ikuno Ward in Osaka City, but because of noise and other problems they dispersed to areas around the Kinki region. Today, parts of Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama and Fukui are also included in the production area.
Features
The materials used are rosewood, ebony, padauk (karin) and tagayasan (ironwood). Their grain is so dense and heavy that they do not float in water but sink. Products are made from solid boards and assembled without any nails or screws, using kumite joints such as mortise-and-tenon joints and dovetail joints. For the finish, the wood is colored with sappanwood (suo) or a similar dye, then refined raw lacquer is rubbed in and the surface is polished with polishing powder (tonoko). Its appeal lies in the rich, deep color and a mirror-smooth luster.
Techniques
Kumite (joinery)
Parts are joined together using mortise-and-tenon joints, dovetail joints, miter joints and other methods. Nails and screws are not used. The standards for national traditional crafts prescribe techniques for each part, such as joining the top and legs of a table with a three-way miter joint.
Wiped-lacquer finish (fuki-urushi)
After coloring with sappanwood (suo) or 'ohaguro,' refined natural raw lacquer is rubbed in with a lacquer brush, and polishing powder is sprinkled on and wiped off with a cloth. This work is repeated many times, leaving days in between, to bring out a deep luster that makes the most of the grain.
Polishing the wood
Under the standards for national traditional crafts, the wood must be polished with horsetail (tokusa), muku leaves or materials with the same properties. Today, fine waterproof sandpaper is also used to smooth the surface of the wood before lacquer is applied.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Sawing and drying
Logs are roughly split into thick and thin boards, stacked with spacers and dried outdoors for about four to five years. Kiln drying is then carried out as needed.
- 2
Cutting stock and shaping
Dried timber is selected and cut into pieces sized for each part. Reference lines are drawn on the planed parts, and they are worked with tenons, miters, rounded edges, carving and so on.
- 3
Polishing and coloring
After sanding with sandpaper, pieces were formerly given a final polish with horsetail or muku leaves. They are colored with sappanwood or ohaguro, and raw lacquer is rubbed in.
- 4
Assembly and finishing
The joints are test-fitted and checked, then the piece is assembled with animal glue (nikawa) or similar adhesives. Uneven steps at the joints are smoothed, and lacquer is rubbed in repeatedly to finish the piece.
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Artisans & Workshops
伊藤唐木
A workshop in 巽南, Ikuno Ward, Osaka City, which also houses the secretariat of the 大阪唐木指物組合. For more than 100 years it has handmade tea shelves, flower stands and other pieces. The third-generation head, 伊藤俊夫, and the fourth-generation head, 伊藤智弘, carry on the skills, and the workshop receives requests to repair karaki furniture from all over the country.
高嶋木工所
A workshop in Echizen City (formerly Takefu City), Fukui Prefecture, one of the production areas of Osaka Karaki Sashimono. Since its founding in Showa 2 (1927), it has continued to make karaki sashimono. It makes items such as rosewood stands for shikishi (square poem cards) and boxes, using butterfly-key (chigiri) joints, mortise-and-tenon joinery and a wiped raw-lacquer finish, and it also accepts repairs of karaki and zelkova (keyaki) pieces.
How to Buy
- Inquiries to the 大阪唐木指物組合
- For orders and repair consultations, the point of contact is the 大阪唐木指物組合 at 巽南1-8-25, Ikuno Ward, Osaka City (inside 伊藤唐木). Tel. 06-6752-9412. Because karaki furniture can be used for a long time with proper care, some workshops accept repairs.
- Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture
- In Echizen City's furusato nozei program, items such as rosewood chopsticks for couples and shikishi stands made by 高嶋木工所 are offered as return gifts. Donations start in the 50,000-yen range, offering a chance to own small items made with the techniques of Osaka Karaki Sashimono.
FAQ
Q. Why did karaki sashimono flourish in Osaka?
A. Because in the Edo period, karaki timber is said to have been shipped into Nagasaki and taken on in its entirety by Osaka's medicinal-herb wholesalers. As the materials gathered in Osaka, the number of craftspeople grew, and Osaka became the home of karaki sashimono.
Q. How long does karaki furniture last?
A. With careful maintenance, it is said to last 200 to 300 years. Because it is assembled with kumite joints, damaged parts can be taken apart and repaired. 伊藤唐木 in Ikuno Ward receives requests to repair karaki furniture from all over the country.