Kumiko - the delicate art of wood assembly

Kumiko is a delicate art of assembling small pieces of wood without using nails. The pieces of wood are drilled or shaped using hand tools - ruler, saw, chisels - and then assembled one by one to form delicate patterns. The art originated in Japan during the Asuka period, 1,500 years ago, and has been continually perfected ever since, passed down from generation to generation of Japanese woodworkers.

An art that requires great skill and fine execution

Kumiko has been used to decorate partitions and sliding doors in traditional Japanese homes. As houses with modern architecture took over from traditional ones, the art began to be used to make other decorative objects which, combined with light, create a fairytale atmosphere.

Those who practice the art of Kumiko must have great skills and qualities. To make the delicate patterns, the cuts in the wood can be as small as 1.5 mm and must be made with great accuracy. These cuts are then sanded and arranged so that they fit the pattern perfectly. For pattern making, 0.1 mm dimensions are not unusual. Wood has its own characteristics and is harder to work with the thinner it becomes. It takes a lot of knowledge and experience to choose the right one and work it properly.

Kumiko models

There are over 100 original designs made by this method, but the actual number of designs is much higher because, over time, other designs have been created by combining the original ones. Sometimes over 100,000 pieces of wood can be used to make the delicate patterns.

The original Kumiko models are divided into 2 categories. Hishi Kumiko or diamond shape are designs with rounded shapes, floral patterns made of curved lines. Koshi Komiko are lattice patterns, geometric shapes resulting from straight horizontal and vertical lines.

In the past, only hand tools were used to make the models. There are still craftsmen who follow the tradition and make patterns using the same techniques as hundreds of years ago. But there are also modern approaches to the technique. The wood is machined with high-performance computerised machines before it is assembled so that sub-millimetre machining is no longer a challenge.

Traditional Japanese art at the Milan Furniture Fair

The modern world with its automated techniques and major changes in construction and architecture are endangering Japanese woodworking traditions. This is why the craftsmen who followed are trying to adapt so that the tradition of woodworking does not disappear. It is the duty of the young descendants of traditional craftsmen's families.

"Tradition can only survive through revolution", as Yuji Kuroda, the third generation of carpenters from Kuroda family. This family has adapted to the modern world and has made Kumiko's art known around the world, even being present at the Milan Furniture Fair.