Collection box of matcha bowls highlighting the traditional craft of "Kumiko"

This is a display shelf for matcha bowls that makes generous use of the traditional Japanese technique of "Kumiko craftsmanship," which is registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Matcha bowls are vessels for drinking matcha tea that are used in the traditional Japanese culture of "tea ceremony."
Matcha bowls are made in pottery production areas all over Japan and come in a wide variety of types. In the tea ceremony, matcha bowls are treated like works of art, and there are even scenes in which the bowls are admired.
This product is a shelf that is made to beautifully display your precious matcha bowls so that you can admire them at any time. After admiring the matcha bowls, the shelf is closed with a lid for storage, but as the shelf itself is made of beautiful Kumiko work, it is worth admiring alone.

Product concept

By combining "Kumiko crafts" with "tea ceremony," which can be said to be the pinnacle of Japanese culture, we aimed to create a product that gives a strong sense of traditional Japanese culture.

Tea ceremony was perfected by Sen no Rikyu, and developed into a culture that pursues the spirit of Zen hospitality and the appreciation of wabi-sabi through the act of preparing and drinking matcha.
Foreigners visiting Japan also seem to be interested in the tea ceremony, which is the culmination of Japanese culture, and the experiences of drinking matcha and making tea are very popular.
Not only that, some people even purchase tea utensils so that they can continue to enjoy tea after returning to their home countries. Tea ceremony can be started with the minimum tools required for making tea, such as a matcha bowl, a tea whisk, and matcha, so it seems that many people purchase these as souvenirs when they return home.

Kumiko is one of the techniques included in "Traditional Japanese Architecture," which is registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.And it is a technique used in traditional Japanese architecture to make fittings such as doors, shoji screens, sliding doors, and windows. It is a technique in which pieces of wood are cut into precise pieces about 1 to 3 mm thick and assembled into geometric patterns without the use of nails. Its origins are said to date back to the Asuka period.

Kumiko is revered as the ultimate luxury item due to the beauty of its shape and the perfection of manual work. Kumiko is often used for fittings and interiors in high-end inns and restaurants, enriching the hearts of those who see it. Kumiko is also used not only in buildings, but also in everyday items and small items, and is popular as an item that gives you a sense of Japanese traditional culture at hand.

There are over 200 different Kumiko patterns, but the most popular is the Asanoha pattern, which is also used on this product. Kumiko work, which involves assembling intricate patterns by hand without using any nails, is a job that requires a great deal of knowledge, experience, and patience.
In addition to the lack of craftsmen with the proper skills, Kumiko production takes a long time, so despite its popularity, it cannot be mass-produced.

However, we decided to take on the challenge of creating a collaboration between "tea ceremony" and "kumiko crafts" as the ultimate product that conveys Japanese culture.
That is the "Shelf for displaying matcha bowls using kumiko," which we introduce here.We have completed a shelf that can beautifully display matcha bowls and also highlights the beauty of the kumiko craftsmanship.

The difficult road to completion

We overcame many hurdles to get from our idea of "making a shelf out of Kumiko to display matcha bowls" to reality, and it took more than two years to complete.
There are not that many Kumiko craftsmen in the whole country. Moreover, the skill levels of each craftsman vary. Some people started out as self-taught, while others apprenticed to masters who uphold the long-standing traditions of Kumiko craftsmanship and learned properly.
The difference in the level of craftsmen is most evident in the precision of their works, so finding a Kumiko craftsman with good skills was the first hurdle.

Furthermore, Kumiko is popular these days, so Kumiko artisans are usually very busy. More and more people are considering incorporating Kumiko somewhere when building a store or their home. Therefore, the more skilled the craftsman, the more packed their schedule is, and it is not easy to find a good craftsman who will cooperate.

The biggest reason it was so difficult was that the skills of a Kumiko craftsman alone would not be enough to make this "Matcha Bowl Display Shelf."

Most Kumiko craftsmen are "joiners" who specialize in making sliding doors and shoji screens for Japanese architecture, and not in making furniture such as shelves. To create a precise shelf, furniture-making skills were required.

For this project, it was necessary to find a craftsman with high skills in both Kumiko and furniture making.

We reached out to craftsmen all over Japan, searching for someone with both skills.
Finally, we were able to find a rare craftsman who was willing to cooperate with us, and complete this piece.

Product Features

Rare and expensive straight grain cypress is used to create a work with an elegant and sophisticated impression. In addition, by using straight grain, the wood is less likely to deform and can remain stable for a long time.

 

The even grain of the wood beautifully brings out the beauty of the matcha bowls placed on it. In Japan, there is an aesthetic sense called "beauty of white space," and the design is such that you can feel the beauty of the white space when displaying matcha bowls.

The lid is covered with Kumiko work, giving them a Japanese-style design reminiscent of shoji screens. The back is covered with a Japanese paper-like acrylic plate and the front is covered with a transparent acrylic plate, which allows light to pass through, making the kumiko pattern appear three-dimensional and allowing you to enjoy its beauty like an art panel.
The lid can be easily opened by pulling it up with your hands, and it can be stood on the included stand.

 

If you decorate it with matcha bowls, natsume, chasen, and kensui, you can use it as a display shelf for your tea utensil set. It would also be nice to display folk crafts purchased as souvenirs from various parts of Japan.

With its cute cube-like form and compact size, it is easy to match with any interior, not just Japanese-style rooms.
In addition, the legs on the left and right sides are cut so that you can hook your fingers, making it convenient to carry. You can move it to various places depending on your mood and enjoy it as an interior item.

 

While kumiko work is beautiful, it is prone to dust accumulation and requires regular maintenance. Generally, dust is removed with air spray or a handy mop that uses static electricity to remove dust, but this product does not require such trouble because the kumiko work part is covered with an acrylic plate. In addition, by closing the lid, you can protect the stored items from foreign objects such as dust.
In addition, the main body is waxed, so it is less likely to get dirty. However, if it gets wet or dirty, wipe it off immediately.

This product's production scene

(1) Arare-gumi

The traditional woodworking technique of "arare gumi" is used to assemble the main body of this product.
Arare-gumi is a joining method that does not require nails or screws, and in this product it is used at the joints between the left and right sides of the shelf and the tabletop.
There are only a limited number of woodworkers who can do this type of arare-gumi by hand, and it is said to be a status symbol for woodworking techniques.

(2) Hozotugi

Other joints use the traditional woodworking technique "Hozotsugi".
Hozotugi is a traditional joinery technique that does not use screws or nails to join pieces of wood, but instead processes the wood into various joints and then joins them together to secure them in place.
The photo shows the lid frame of this product.

(3) Mitsukude

This is a scene where "Mitsukude" are being made, which will be the base for Kumiko crafts. In technical terms, the three-piece joint is called a "jigumi" (ground joint), and is like a canvas in a painting.

 

(4) Creating the Kumiko Pattern

While looking at the blueprint, we create a pattern within Mitsukude. Thinly split wood is used to add grooves and angles, and small pieces of wood are combined to create the kumiko pattern. By hammering slightly larger parts together, a strong joint is achieved without using nails.

(5) Planing and Finishing

The surface is polished with a Japanese hand plane to highlight the beautiful wood grain.
After planing, a coating called "roubiki" is applied to protect the wood. This makes the wood's color look more vivid and prevents discoloration.

(6) Assembling the main body and frame

Attach the frames to the four sides of the completed kumiko.

 

 

Experience the beauty of Kumiko up close

The hexagonal Kumiko design is inspired by a turtle shell, and is an auspicious item that symbolizes longevity.
This masterpiece uses not only Kumiko but also Japanese architectural techniques designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO throughout.
It was created by a single craftsman, putting in a lot of time and effort, from sourcing the materials to designing and manufacturing.
Please purchase a copy and enjoy this wonderful piece up close.