The dense, dark green forests of the Hida region are home to a woodworking tradition that dates back 1,300 years. In this story, we explore how Hida Sangyo’s holistic use of the cedar tree builds upon legendary craftsmanship to create sustainable innovation and modern furniture.
Third-generation woodworker Perry Shaw treks daily through the dense, well-trod forests of the Pacific Northwest, often shadowed by his two sons or his dog. As the afternoon sun trickles through the canopy, Shaw scans for fallen trees, craggy and marked by blight.
Depending on the day, Tom Henscheid is a carpenter, welder, sculptor, contractor, furniture-maker, restoration specialist, cabinet-maker, teacher, or inventor. On most days, he is a carver of spoons.
Abigail Schama’s pieces do not ask for permission to be. They are not demure, pretty little things; they are not slick or smooth, or symmetrical in their curves. They are craggy and worn, gestural and uneven, crusted with a salty glaze, seemingly unearthed after centuries slumbering in the watery depths of a Cretan ruin.
The craft of Bizenware is more than clay—it is a primal union of man and nature. In this series, we explore how different families have passed down “the way of Bizen,” and how the craft has evolved through generations.
