Japanese Marquetry

Japanese marquetry comes in 2 flavors – pictorial marquetry (Zougan) and parquetry (Yosegi). The craft had been practiced as far back as the Nara Period (700 AD), but it never became popular because lacquer ware was more fashionable. This situation changed at the end of the 19th-Century when Japan opened up to Western traders. Today, the Hakone region of Japan is known around the world for its marquetry and produces almost all of it on the island.

Of these Yosegi is unique in the way it is created. Thin strips of veneer which have been planed, glued and pressed are cut across the grain with a hand saw using various jigs. Several of these are fitted in a mold and glued together. Different designs can be utilized in this manner. The length of these pieces are actually the end grain of the wood. Many of these elongated pieces are then cut into ½-1” lengths and then glued together to form a block. A special plane is used to shave micro-thin leaves from it. Each sheet is paper-thin and measures about 1/100 cm thick. After flattening they are glued to utilitarian objects such as boxes.

Japanese puzzle boxes are one example created in this manner. These can only be opened one way. The number of steps required to do so can number over 100. Each box is different and has its own instructions. They are crafted with precision so care is needed in preserving them. The simple example below needs 3 steps to open and is ideal for hiding small objects. These boxes are pecular to Japan and are made in large amounts no where else.