The Woodshop Shed

The Flight of Fright

Furnished content.
(from Lumberjocks.com)


Kodansu – Flight of FrightContinuing with my Japanese 'period' of woodwork, this small chest was inspired by the kodansu - small table cabinets of the 19th century. They were originally used to store items related to the Kd ceremony. Kd is the art of appreciating Japanese incense, and involves using incense within a structure of codified conduct. Kd includes all aspects of the incense process, from the tools, to activities such the incense-comparing games. Kd is counted as one of the three classical Japanese arts of refinement, along with kad for flower arrangement, and chad for tea and the tea ceremony. Kodansu were small, highly valued, and highly decorated with the finest lacquer techniques.Mine is less than an 100mm/4inch cube..It is made of veneered plywood with solid maple drawers. The veneers are burl walnut and birds-eye maple. The decoration includes a gold sprinkled interior to the chest, the drawers and door, and inlays on the exterior.The drawers have a sprinkled burl walnut inlay on the front to match the exterior of the chest. The drawer pulls are black zirconia stud earrings.The shell stringing on the outer sides forms frames for shell inlays. A crouching tiger appears on a gold and silver sprinkled landscape on the top.The sides have shell feather inlays, with gold sprinkled feathers on the back.The front door has two makie lacquer cranes in flight.The shell inlays come from vietnam check them out here https://luthiersupply.com/wildlife.html The range is amazing and while they may appear expensive, I think they are amazing value compared to buying your own shell and the time taken to cut the pieces out yourself.These makie cranes are real gold makie stickers purchased on my last trip to Japan, they are usually used for personalising mobile phones. I have just ordered a load of others for another two kodansu. You can check them out here https://kinpakuya.jp/?mode=cate&csid=0&cbid=1563636 They are highly detailed and relativly easy to apply.This following picture shows the makie stickers in their 'raw' state, before they were applied to the door. In the background is the gold and silver dust in the petri dishes, and the sprinkling 'pipe' with the green end in the middle of the picture.As with my other Japanese boxes it is presented in Japanese Tsutsumi - gift-wrapped style, with a Tomobako case, (not shown) and a Furoshiki black fabric cover, embossed with gold feathers.I've called this Kodansu the 'Flight of fright' - as the cranes on the front have been frightening away by the tiger.Thanks for looking.Hope you enjoyed it.Martin

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