
Hikimonojo 639
About Hikimonojo 639 "Hikimono" is a traditional Japanese technique of carving wood into round shapes to create tableware and furniture. While preserving tradition, Hikimonojo 639 continues to produce modern output with its own interpretation. As the number of craftsmen decreases due to the trend toward mechanization, their techniques and creativity are attracting attention from around the world. Momose Toshifumi founded Hikimonojo 639 to explore the potential of hikimono, a craft that has seen a decline in the number of hand-turned craftsmen due to the wave of mechanization.
"I've been good with my hands since I was a child, so I went to a vocational school for design. When I was looking for a job, I was introduced to a woodturning shop at school, and at first I became an apprentice without knowing anything about the technique. But as I watched the master at work, I was amazed at how he could freely create beautiful shapes just by carving a rotating piece of wood. For example, when you keep carving 1,000 pieces of the same material, you only feel the faint sound of the blade hitting the wood and the faint vibration of your fingertips. The nerves and senses of your entire body become sharper, and the resolution of things becomes much finer. It took me some time to master all the techniques, but carving wood every day is moving and makes me happy."
What is woodturning ? Woodcarvers, potters, carvers. These are all terms that basically refer to craftsmen who do the same work as woodturners. It is a technique in which shapes are carved out by rotating wood on a special tool called a potter's wheel, and has been used to create wooden products such as household items like trays and bowls, as well as furniture and Buddhist altar fittings. It is said that this potter's wheel technique was invented by Prince Koretaka about 1,200 years ago. Although he was born as the first son of the imperial family, he lost the battle for the throne and lived in Oguradani, Shiga Prefecture. It was around this time that he invented the potter's wheel, based on the principle behind the rotation of the axis of a scroll of Buddhist scriptures, and he is said to be the "father of craftsmanship." Woodturning, which began with things like pagodas, could be said to be the origin of Japanese craftsmanship.
About Shizuoka and wood turning <br>The art of wood turning spread throughout the country, and Shizuoka Prefecture, with its abundant timber, became known as a production area of wood turning. Its roots lie in a merchant named Sakai Yonekichi, who ran a timber business. He was an excellent merchant with an eye for fine wood, but one day he was seriously injured in the mountains of Hakone and was forced to go out of business. As he had an ability to discern the characteristics of wood, he learned the technique from a wood turner in Hakone and opened a wood turning business in Shimoishimachi, Shizuoka City in 1864. This is said to be the beginning of "Shizuoka wood turning." The lineage expanded to around 100 people by the 1970s, and has been passed down to the present day.
From Momose Satofumi : In addition to Momose, there are two other craftsmen in the studio who are carving wood on the potter's wheel. Sometimes they carve a single large piece of wood, and sometimes they carve several pieces of wood together, and sometimes it takes three people to create a single piece of work.
"With turning, if you shave too much, you can't redo it. But if you shave too little, it becomes unrefined. I visualize that fine line and can trace the exact line I drew in my head at one point. The shape and grain of the wood that only emerges after shave is as fun as a treasure hunt."