Openwork is a processing method to express design pattern by left-over part which is cut out from thin board of wood, metal, or stone by a coping saw. This technique, a little while ago, was used for TSUBA, the sword guard or RANMA, the wooden panel used as a decorative transom above paper-covered sliding doors.

Normally, Hinoki, the Japanese cypress, is used as the base wood in most cases, but Sugi, the Japanese cedar, was used this time due to a strong request from the client. An artisan with excellent eyes selected beautiful base tree within the tight time frame. All efforts come up together, and the object got completed in elegant manner, not going too much Japanese taste.

The base drawing design was done by Sunago-shi, who usually does drawings and paintings on Fusuma, a Japanese sliding doors, or the Byobu, a folding screen - First, the line was drawn by monochrome painting, then that was transformed into the line drawing, preserving the original strength expression. This was then passed to an artisan in Kyoto, who does excellent wooden work such as Kumiko, Openwork, and Sashimono, and the final figure came out after the incredibly fine cutting by hand.

The two artisans' technique have made a superb object to express our spirit of “Omotenashi” to welcome the guests.

design/A.N.D