Murakami Toyohachi

It is in Nikko, in the Tochigi prefecture, that Murakami Toyohachi's artisans make their Nikko-bori style carved objects.

Murakami Toyohachi has been created during the Meiji era, in 1878. It is now the 4th generation of the Murakami family who manages the family business.

The Nikko-bori is a carving style applied to various objects, and has the particularity to be executed using a single V shape wood chisel, called hikkaki. This chisel is used to execute the totality of the carving operations where usually several chisels are used.
The object is then lacquered to emphasize the patterns.
Another particularity of the Nikko-bori style concerns the patterns shown in the carvings. They are generally flowers and plants : peony, chrysanthemum, Japanese apricot tree, sakura,... But we also find dragons patterns.
It is said the style was born from the carvings done during their free time by the master craftsmen who came to participate to the erection of the Toshogu shrine of Nikko.
The carving is done on various objects : boxes with various sizes and shapes, ornamental trays, hand mirrors, furnitures,...

 Their Nikko-bori objects collection.