Woodwork by Japanese Maker Tomokazu Furui

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Cherry ‘Zabon’ with assorted wooden items by Tomokazu Furui

Woodwork that involves any sort of hand carving has really gained my respect over the last few months. Attempting to make these goods myself, such as spoons and cutlery out of green wood, you come to appreciate the intricacies of such a craft and ultimately see works of this nature in a different light. It’s demanding in all aspects and requires many different skills. You need to account for 3D form, such as proportion and shaping, but more importantly how it functions in the hand, especially goods like cutlery and bowls like those seen here.

I’m pleased to introduce a new maker in the shop, one that’s very skilled and who’s an expert at manipulating wood in to beautiful form. A Japanese woodworker that goes by the name of Tomokazu Furui. I’ve admired his work for a number of years and it’s a great pleasure to finally represent him here. I’m sure you’ll agree his works are quite beautiful. Tomokazu’s inspiration derives from nature itself, often letting the wood speak through the different objects that he makes. Instead of fighting the hard material his tools go with the natural grain, leaving intricate marks where his chisel has carved the surface.

One item that I’m particularly fond of is the Zabon, this comes in both cherry and walnut. It’s our first piece of furniture and it’s a handcrafted low table or sitting tray that could be used to present food or sweets. ‘Za’ meaning ‘to sit’, and ‘bon’ meaning ‘tray’, would be perfect for the tea ceremony as it’s close to the floor for use while sitting. Tomokazu finishes the piece off using a mixture of hand tools, much like he would any other vessels from his collection, so they certainly have a lot of charm. To see more works from Tomokazu Furui please head over to the shop now, we hope to expand on his range in the near future and offer more of an insight in to his working life as a craftsman.

Click here to shop woodwork by Tomokazu Furui →

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Walnut ‘Zabon’

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Cherry Coffee Spoon

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The zabon, za meaning ‘sit’ and bon meaning ‘tray’, is a sitting tray or low table that’s used to present food or sweets.

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Maple Dipping Cup

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Cherry Bowl with Marks

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Walnut and Maple Vase

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Tomokazu Furui making wooden objects at his workshop in Kyotanba, Kyoto Prefecture

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