Hibachi (brazier) of paulownia wood (left)
and a flower vase (right)
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Hibachi (brazier) of paulownia wood (left) and a flower vase (right) |
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HISTORY Gold leaf painting added after the Meiji period (the 19th Century) It is said that Paulownia Woodwork in Kanazawa started either in the Muromachi period (the 14th Century) or in the Edo period (16th Century). In the 20's of the Meiji period (the 19th Century), Ogaki Shokun, the grand master of Kaga's gold leaf painting created technique to gold paint on paulownia charcoal brazier. The technique added splendor to the furniture, which otherwise was rather undecorated and blunt. Around the 31st or 32nd years of the Meiji period, Nakagawa Yosaburo started manufacturing Kanazawa's paulownia charcoal brazier, which is known for its beautiful wood wheel works. As the paulownia charcoal braziers were gaining popularity, they were shipped to Kanto, Kansai and as far as Hokkaido and Sakhalin. Paulownia woodwork products such as ash trays were also manufactured along charcoal braziers and increased in number. In the 14th year of the Taisho period (1925), Association of Kanazawa Paulownia Charcoal Brazier was formed, and the sales of paulownia woodwork products expanded. CHARACTERISTICS One of the best home products The nature of paulownia is like that of grass. It is porous, hence it's light and hard to crack. Paulownia resists humidity and fire, therefore it is ideal for storing clothes when it is used in chests. Manufacturing paulownia woodwork takes full advantage of its soft natural texture. The finished products give characteristic appearances. Paulownia charcoal braziers were manufacturers in the other prefectures, but shortage of materials caused many of them to stop manufacturing. Today Kanazawa is the largest manufacturer of paulownia charcoal brazier. Paulownias grow fast and extensively in the region, but ones that grow in the foothill of Mount Hakusan, in the region of Tsurugi, Ishikawa-gun are used most frequently. |
