Osaka Senshu Kiri Tansu (Osaka Senshu Paulownia Chests)
Osaka Senshu Kiri Tansu (Osaka Senshu Paulownia Chests)
Osaka Senshu Kiri Tansu (大阪泉州桐箪笥) are paulownia chests (kiri tansu) made mainly in the Senshu area of southern Osaka Prefecture. The main production areas are Kishiwada City, Sakai City, Izumi City and Tadaoka Town. Tansu chests are sometimes said to have first originated in Osaka, and by the mid-Edo period the techniques for making them had been established in Osaka. These techniques are said to have spread from the city of Osaka through Sakai to Izumi, forming a production area in Senshu. Because they use thick paulownia wood, have many kumite (joints that interlock boards) and are carefully built and finished, they are sometimes called 'the finest of paulownia chests.' Many are made in the 胴丸型 style with rounded corners, and another characteristic is the strong demand for custom pieces decorated with maki-e or lacquer coating. Because paulownia keeps out moisture and does not conduct heat easily, these chests have long been prized as furniture for storing precious clothing such as kimono. In 1989 (Heisei 1), they were designated a Traditional Craft Designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Origin
In Senshu, it is said that in the mid-Edo period people began making simple sashimono such as boxes from kihada (Amur cork tree) and paulownia wood obtained nearby, alongside their farming. Osaka Prefecture explains that by the mid-Edo period the techniques for making tansu had been established in Osaka, and that they spread from the city of Osaka through Sakai to Izumi. In Bunsei 2 (1819), planting paulownia seedlings was permitted as a side business for farmers, and these are said to have later become the material for paulownia chests.
History
From the late Edo period through the Meiji era, Senshu became a major production area for paulownia chests. The paulownia was brought in mainly from the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, and in recent years imported wood from North America and elsewhere has also been used. In 1986 (Showa 61), 'Senshu Kiri Tansu' was designated an Osaka Prefecture-designated Traditional Craft, and in 1989 'Osaka Senshu Kiri Tansu' was designated a national traditional craft. In 2007, it was also registered as a regional collective trademark.
Features
Solid paulownia boards at least 20 mm thick are used for the top and side panels, and the front is lined with straight-grained (masame) boards. Thanks to the hagi technique, which joins boards so they look like a single wide board, the seams are almost invisible. No metal nails are used in assembly; instead, tenons are interlocked and fastened with wooden nails made of utsugi (deutzia) or other woods. The traditional finish is to bring out the grain with an uzukuri, color the wood with yashabushi, and then polish it with wax. Chests finished with yakigiri, in which the surface is scorched, are also made.
Techniques
Hagi (edge-joining boards)
Paulownia boards whose grain flows together are selected and lined up side by side, and their joining surfaces are planed and glued. By matching the straight grain, the joined boards are made to look like a single wide board. This is a showcase of the craftsperson's skill, testing the eye for reading the grain.
Kumite (joinery)
The top and side panels are joined with box joints of nine or more fingers or similar joints, and the drawers are assembled with dovetail joints or similar joints. Because the tenons are made without the slightest error, the assembled chest does not budge at all.
Finishing (uzukuri, coloring and wax polishing)
The surface is rubbed with an uzukuri to raise the grain, colored with yashabushi (a liquid made by boiling the cones of the yashabushi alder), and then polished with ibota wax or a similar wax. This makes the surface resistant to fingermarks and dirt. Depending on the workshop, a tonoko (polishing powder) finish or a yakigiri finish can also be chosen.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Sawing and drying
Logs are sawn while distinguishing straight-grained (masame) and flat-grained (itame) boards by how the growth rings run, and they are air-dried for about a year. Drying them thoroughly prevents tannins (aku) from seeping out.
- 2
Cutting stock, straightening and edge-joining
Three or four boards are aligned so their straight grain matches and fixed with glue. Distortions caused by drying are corrected by heating the boards over a fire, and the joining surfaces are planed and edge-joined.
- 3
Making the wooden components and the main body
The boards are cut to the size of each part, and the wooden bases for drawer fronts and doors are made. Straight-grained boards are applied to the front of the main body and planed, and the tenons for the joints are cut.
- 4
Assembly and finishing
The legs and back panel are attached and the main body is assembled, and the drawers and doors are fitted. After final planing, the chest is colored, waxed and fitted with metal hardware to complete it.
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Artisans & Workshops
初音の家具（田中家具製作所）
A paulownia chest workshop in 吉井町, Kishiwada City, founded in Taisho 8 (1919). It handles every stage from raw logs to finishing, and it is said to have once been selected by the Imperial Household Agency. It also restores old paulownia chests by re-planing them, and it houses the secretariat of the 大阪泉州桐箪笥組合.
留河桐タンス
A paulownia chest maker in 大町, Kishiwada City, founded in Taisho 1 (1912). Devoted solely to paulownia chests, it uses traditional techniques for everything from raw logs to finishing. It is also working on developing new household goods that make use of paulownia's humidity-regulating and insect-repelling properties.
How to Buy
- Workshop showroom
- The showroom of 田中家具製作所 (初音の家具) displays about 50 products, which can be purchased on the spot. According to Osaka Prefecture's product listings, kosode chests start at about 1,480,000 yen, and antique-style kosode chests (時代小袖箪笥) with a yakigiri finish start at about 1,380,000 yen (excluding tax). Delivery takes about two months from the order.
- Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) in Kishiwada City
- In Kishiwada City's furusato nozei program, 初音の家具's paulownia chests, yakigiri clothing boxes and a restoration service for old paulownia chests are offered as return gifts. Smaller paulownia boxes for storing kimono can also be chosen.
Hands-on Experiences
田中家具製作所（初音の家具）工房見学・体験
大阪府岸和田市吉井町1-19-8
In addition to tours of the production process (for groups of about 10), visitors can try planing boards with a kanna (hand plane) and making a paulownia box. Free of charge; reservations required. Closed on Sundays and national holidays. About a 7-minute walk east from Haruki Station on the Nankai Main Line. As this information comes from Osaka Prefecture's listings, it is best to confirm in advance by phone (072-443-5691).
辻川家具製作所 工場見学・体験
大阪府泉北郡忠岡町高月北2-18-22
Factory tours are available, and the workshop also offers the experience of planing boards with a kanna and simple painting. Free of charge; reservations required. Closed on Thursdays. About a 15-minute walk from Izumi-Fuchu Station on the JR Hanwa Line.
FAQ
Q. Why are paulownia chests suited to storing kimono?
A. Paulownia is said to absorb and release moisture according to the surrounding humidity, and on humid days it swells to close any gaps. It also does not conduct heat easily, warps little, and is said to contain components with an insect-repelling effect. Because of these properties, it is considered well suited to storing kimono, which are vulnerable to moisture and insects.
Q. Can an old paulownia chest be repaired?
A. Because it is made of solid paulownia boards, the surface can be re-planed and recolored to restore it to a nearly new condition, a process called araigae (re-planing). In Senshu too, 初音の家具 and others accept restoration of old paulownia chests.