Box of mokumegane made of gold, silver and copper. “Sunlight reaching into the depth of sea”
- Metalwork
- Presented in 2013
- H 12.0 x W 22.0 x D 8.5 cm
- Contact for Price
| Category | Metalwork |
|---|---|
| Year Presented | 2013 |
| Dimensions | H 12.0 x W 22.0 x D 8.5 cm |
| Exhibition | The 60th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition |
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Hammer forming
In hammer forming (tankin), a mallet is used to shape a sheet of metal by hammering it into recessions in a wooden stump or block. Next, the metal sheet is worked on the end of specially shaped iron bars known as forming stakes (ategane) to gradually create the final form. It takes tens of thousands of hammer strikes to produce a single finished work.
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Embossing
Embossing, or metal chasing (uchidashi), is the process of using punches to raise designs on metal by repeatedly hammering the face or back of a piece (the latter technique being known as “repoussage”). Embossed work can take the shape of highly pronounced three-dimensional forms or shallow reliefs like those seen on brooches and ornaments for kimono obi.
Biko Hayashi
In the world of metalcraft, I have earned high recognition as an artist specializing in the tankin (hammering) technique for hard materials such as stainless steel; however, in recent years, I have been working on my own “Gold, Silver, and Copper Metal with Woodgrain Patterns” containing real gold. Today I am passionate about reproducing this once lost technique of the Edo period. My Gold, Silver, and Copper Metal with Woodgrain Patterns is a special metal material; the main body is gold, onto which dozens of silver, copper, alloys of copper and gold, and other material plates are placed one after the other to create a laminated layer; it is heated in a high-temperature flame; then, by repeated hammering, burrowing, and thinning by hammering, a plate shape is made, and finally the simple and elegant woodgrain patterns stand out. This fine metal material is unparalleled in the world. In the Edo period, this material was used for the decorative fittings of swords and accouterments; in contemporary works, it is used to create such items as tea utensils, flower vases, and decorative boxes with designs suitable for today.