Yosegi
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Yosegi (寄木), or yosegi-zaiku (寄木細工), is a type of traditional Japanese mosaic woodwork which originated in the late Edo Period. Yosegi veneers are commonly found on the outside of Japanese secret boxes (Himitsu-Bako) or puzzle boxes, but can also be used to decorate many other items such as trays, chests, and more recently, mouse mats.
The region of Hakone in Japan is renowned for its yosegi-zaiku and himitsu-bako, which were designated a National Traditional Handicraft by the International Trade & Industry Minister of Japan in May 1984.
An illustrated description of the Yosegi-making process can be found here. The mosaic is created by rods of different woods glued together, and cut perpendicularly into fine slices. The surface is lacquered. Differences in texture and colour are obtained by the choice of different species and qualities of wood:
- White: Spindle tree or ilex macropoda
- Black: aged Katsura tree
- Yellow: Picrasma quassioides, mulberry or sumac
- Brown: Camphor tree, maackia
- Purple: American walnut tree
- Blue: Japanese cucumber tree
- Red: Chinese cedar
[edit] External links
- Hakone Maruyama Inc. (This is a commercial site, but it has many informative photographs of various box styles.)
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