Ichii WoodcarvingsPhoto：Gifu Prefecture

  • Wood, bamboo crafts
  • Gifu

Ichii Woodcarvings Ichii Itto Bori

Ichii Ittobori is carved from yew wood native to the Hida region of Gifu, without added coloring, allowing the natural grain and chisel marks to define its beauty. The contrast between reddish heartwood and pale sapwood, together with bold yet delicate carving, gives each piece a distinctive character. It was designated a Traditional Craft by the Japanese government in 1975.

Description

What is Ichii Woodcarvings ?

Ichii Itto Bori is a traditional woodcarving craft produced mainly in Takayama, Hida, and Gero in Gifu Prefecture. On May 10, 1975, it was designated as a Traditional Craft by the Japanese government.

The craft uses ichii, or Japanese yew, which is also the official tree of Gifu Prefecture. The wood has a fine texture and suitable toughness, making it well suited to detailed carving.

A defining characteristic of Ichii Itto Bori is that no coloring is applied. Instead, artisans make full use of the natural grain, contrasting colors of the wood, and visible chisel marks.

Ichii wood has reddish-brown heartwood known as akata and pale sapwood known as shirata. From the initial timber selection stage, artisans carefully consider the direction of the grain and the position of these contrasting areas so that they become part of the finished design.

After the timber has been thoroughly dried, an appropriate section is selected and cut to size. The form is then developed through successive stages of rough carving, intermediate carving, and finishing, using a variety of chisels.

Rather than completely smoothing away the carved surface, the marks left by the tools are deliberately retained as part of the expression of the work.

Over time, the natural color of ichii gradually deepens toward a warm brown and develops a distinctive sheen.

Typical products include decorative figures, masks, tea utensils, and netsuke, with subjects ranging from animals and human figures to Buddhist images and zodiac motifs.

History

Ichii Woodcarvings - History

The Hida region has a long tradition of highly skilled woodworking. From the Nara and Heian periods, craftspeople known as Hida no Takumi traveled to the capitals to participate in the construction of temples, shrines, and important buildings.

This woodworking and carving tradition continued within the region and can also be seen in the elaborate carvings of the floats used in the Takayama Festival.

The form of woodcarving now known as Ichii Itto Bori is generally considered to have been established in the late Edo period by Matsuda Sukenaga, a netsuke carver from Takayama.

While studying sculpture in different parts of Japan, Matsuda sought a way to emphasize the natural beauty of wood without concealing it beneath painted decoration. He turned to local ichii wood because of its attractive grain, contrasting heartwood and sapwood, and suitability for carving.

He developed an unpainted carving style that allowed the natural surface and chisel marks of the material to remain visible.

The technique was initially applied particularly to small carvings such as netsuke, but it was later passed on among Hida carvers and expanded to decorative figures, masks, tea utensils, and other works.

Takayama City also identifies Hirata Ryōchō, another netsuke carver active in the late Edo period, as one of the artisans who contributed to the development of the tradition.

On May 10, 1975, Ichii Itto Bori was designated as a Traditional Craft by the Japanese government.

Today, artisans in Takayama, Hida, and Gero continue to preserve the distinctive techniques of selecting ichii for its grain and natural color, carving it by hand, leaving expressive chisel marks, and finishing the work without painted decoration.

Production Process

  1. 1. Preparing the timber The wood grain patterns and the color shading of naturally-dried ichii timber is inspected and suitable pieces selected. As no coloring will be used, the natural wood color and grain is very important. The timber is then cut to size and shaped roughly with a power saw. For this step, a paper pattern is sometimes used.
  2. 2. Outlining The Ichii woodcarving range includes a variety of different sizes and pieces such as decorative objects, masks, and small items. In this stage, a rough draft of the image is created according to the image of the work.
  3. 3. Rough carving Most of the production process of Ichii woodcarving is hand-carving work, and depending on the production stage, different types of blades are used such as gouges and borers. In rough carving, artisans freely knock the wood into a rough shape, after which it is sometimes left to dry for two to three days before moving to the next stage.
  4. 4. Semi-finish carving Using a variety of small and large chisels, the work is more closely carved, with great attention paid to the overall balance of the piece.
  5. 5. Finish carving Finally, any intricate and delicate parts are carved with great care as with Ichii wood, any chisel marks are left as they are. Every single cut greatly affects the finished work and is a test of the artisan's abilities. Depending on the work, it may take one week or more to complete this step.
  6. 6. Wax-finishing Lastly, melted white wax is applied and polished with a dry cloth. The wax prevents the wood from cracking or getting dirty and effectively draws out the oiliness of the wood. Over time, this craft will develop luster and sheen.

Facility Information

Sakai Dento Sangyo Kaikan

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