Ornaments by Nobuho Miya, Kamasada Ironware
I’m not usually one to bring across a small selection of items, I prefer putting together a post that’s more substantial with captions and all the relevant information. Today I guess is an exception, these ornaments by Kamasada Ironware really grabbed by attention from Japan and I couldn’t let them pass, they’re wonderfully executed and are made by a very well known metal artist called Nobuho Miya.
Nobuho was born in Morioka, Japan in 1952, he’s a master forger of nambu tetsu, or traditional cast iron, and is the head of a third-generation “Kamasada” ironware workshop founded in the Meiji era. The completion of a Masters course in iron casting at the prestigious Tokyo National University of Fine Arts led him onto restoring and reproducing the ornamental tops of the posts of Konjiki-do, Chuson-ji Temple. His works have now been exhibited worldwide including in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2003.
In my opinion Miya’s work is unique in a lot of ways, he’s an incredible craftsman that’s got an amazing eye for elegant, simple, contemporary design. Usually you may see older individuals who can really work their craft but it’s harder to find someone with knowledge combined with the eye for what looks good. Nobuho has this in abundance and you can see these in the little ornaments above and below. This is just one element of his work, usually he specialises in bigger items such as bowls and kettles, but I thought overall these were pretty quirky and worth showcasing. I hope you agree.
Actually, I’ve been pretty fascinated with these smaller items that are purely decorative for quite a while now. We’re always discussing here in the office the percentage in which you should be functional and the percentage you should be decorative in a household, I think it’s important to get a nice balance. Either way you’re sure to appreciate this metal work, I’d recommend heading to the link below to view more. A few of my other favourites include the Yonabe and Kuminabe series.