Kōzu cuts
15 May 2012 Filed in: Book
I finished the frame pieces and tsukeko, and they’re safely tucked away until the final finish planing before assembly. Today I started on cutting the kumiko joints for the kōzu. The photo shows the kumiko for one kōzu panel.
You can see by the number of cuts for just one of the panels how much work is involved in this pattern. This, though, is only the preparatory work. From here, I will assemble the main vertical and horizontal kumiko, then trim the shorter kumiko and cut the mitres.
The kōzu was a popular pattern for shoin shoji - the attractive decorative shoji in the shoin-zukuri style of architecture - but it was largely limited to nobility and the upper echelons of the samurai warrior class. It was this kind of work and the skills needed to make it that led to the growth of the sub-branch of shokunin within the tategu trade known as kumiko shokunin. They are the shokunin who specialise in the intricate kumiko patterns.
You can see by the number of cuts for just one of the panels how much work is involved in this pattern. This, though, is only the preparatory work. From here, I will assemble the main vertical and horizontal kumiko, then trim the shorter kumiko and cut the mitres.
The kōzu was a popular pattern for shoin shoji - the attractive decorative shoji in the shoin-zukuri style of architecture - but it was largely limited to nobility and the upper echelons of the samurai warrior class. It was this kind of work and the skills needed to make it that led to the growth of the sub-branch of shokunin within the tategu trade known as kumiko shokunin. They are the shokunin who specialise in the intricate kumiko patterns.
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Started the kōzu
09 May 2012 Filed in: Book
I finally managed to get a start on the next shoji and patterns for Book 2. I dimensioned the rails and stiles yesterday afternoon, and all this morning was spent cutting and dimensioning the kumiko. The following photo shows about four hours’ effort (the timber is Huon pine).
The kumiko mitsuke is 4.0 mm exactly; not 3.9 or 4.1 mm. In fact 0.1 mm in shoji and kumiko work is a massive size. Every one of these kumiko has to be checked after I finish preparing it to the correct thickness. I use a pair of digital callipers for this.
In this shoji there are 30 vertical kumiko, and 68 horizontal kumiko. I also make up a reasonable number of spare kumiko in case disaster strikes.
In the futae-kōzu part, there are 15 vertical and 27 horizontal kumiko, and also 64 mitre joints to cut for each panel. So there are 128 kumiko mitres to cut, and that’s just for the kōzu pattern. There are many more mitres to cut for the futae-shokkō patterns on the bottom. Each one must have exactly the right amount of tension, otherwise the overall piece can look very ordinary indeed. I can assure you that by the time you finish making this shoji, you will certainly be sick and tired of mitre joints.
The kōzu is not a particularly difficult pattern to make. The futae-kōzu design here essentially builds on the kawari-gumi shoji and futae kaku-tsunagi pattern we tackled in Book 1. It is, however, a very time-consuming pattern when done properly, and this is what makes it so expensive.
It is, though, one of my favourite patterns. And it can be adjusted and used in a broad range of work, not just shoji.
The kumiko mitsuke is 4.0 mm exactly; not 3.9 or 4.1 mm. In fact 0.1 mm in shoji and kumiko work is a massive size. Every one of these kumiko has to be checked after I finish preparing it to the correct thickness. I use a pair of digital callipers for this.
In this shoji there are 30 vertical kumiko, and 68 horizontal kumiko. I also make up a reasonable number of spare kumiko in case disaster strikes.
In the futae-kōzu part, there are 15 vertical and 27 horizontal kumiko, and also 64 mitre joints to cut for each panel. So there are 128 kumiko mitres to cut, and that’s just for the kōzu pattern. There are many more mitres to cut for the futae-shokkō patterns on the bottom. Each one must have exactly the right amount of tension, otherwise the overall piece can look very ordinary indeed. I can assure you that by the time you finish making this shoji, you will certainly be sick and tired of mitre joints.
The kōzu is not a particularly difficult pattern to make. The futae-kōzu design here essentially builds on the kawari-gumi shoji and futae kaku-tsunagi pattern we tackled in Book 1. It is, however, a very time-consuming pattern when done properly, and this is what makes it so expensive.
It is, though, one of my favourite patterns. And it can be adjusted and used in a broad range of work, not just shoji.
CAD drawing of next shoji - futae kōzu
13 April 2012 Filed in: Book
This is the next shoji I’m planning to make for Book 2. It’s the futae-kōzu pattern. Futae means “double”, and kōzu means “illustration of fragrances”. The background to this beautiful pattern is explained in the Patterns page of this website.
The pattern forming the base is called futae-shokkō. Again futae is double, and Shokkō (蜀江) indicates the upper stream section of the Yangtze River in China. This region was quite famous for the clear waters of the river, and the silk cloth made here (Shokkō nishiki) was very popular. The shokkō pattern of interconnected rectangles embroidered into this fine silk came to symbolise the region.
I’m not entirely sure when I can actually start making this shoji, but hopefully it won’t be too far off into the future.
The pattern forming the base is called futae-shokkō. Again futae is double, and Shokkō (蜀江) indicates the upper stream section of the Yangtze River in China. This region was quite famous for the clear waters of the river, and the silk cloth made here (Shokkō nishiki) was very popular. The shokkō pattern of interconnected rectangles embroidered into this fine silk came to symbolise the region.
I’m not entirely sure when I can actually start making this shoji, but hopefully it won’t be too far off into the future.
Naka-nuki shoji completed
17 March 2012 Filed in: Book
Yesterday I completed the naka-nuki shoji with two asa-no-ha bordering bands and a central kiri band, and fitted it into its frame. I decided against fitting the handles in this shoji because I’ve given sufficient explanations and details in all the previous shoji.
Kumiko pattern completed
All the kumiko in the naka-nuki shoji have been safely assembled, and all that’s left is to assemble the frame and attach the paper.
The central kiri (paulownia) pattern really sets this shoji off. Multiple angles and multiple jaguchi joints make it quite a difficult pattern to fit together.
(The dark mark in the bottom left is simply shadow from a fold in the dark cloth)
The central kiri (paulownia) pattern really sets this shoji off. Multiple angles and multiple jaguchi joints make it quite a difficult pattern to fit together.
(The dark mark in the bottom left is simply shadow from a fold in the dark cloth)
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