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Brought back from the workshop
Tōkon (刀痕) — “traces of the blade.”
In many crafts, the marks left by the tool are something to smooth away. In Kamakura-bori, they become part of the beauty.
The carver deliberately leaves rhythmic traces of the blade in the wood, allowing the movement of the hand to remain visible in the finished piece. Layers of urushi lacquer settle over those carved surfaces, bringing out depth, shadow, and subtle changes in expression as the light moves across them.
Tōkon is one of the defining techniques of Kamakura-bori. What drew me to it is its directness: rather than hiding how an object was made, it leaves the evidence of the maker’s hand for us to see and feel.
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The more you know
Learn how these crafts are made, how to live with them, and what to look for.
At first glance, Kamakura-bori can look like richly colored Japanese lacquerware. Look more closely, though, and you begin to see what makes it different:...
Look closely at a piece of Kamakura-bori. The first impression may be color: deep red, reddish brown, or near-black in the hollows. Then the...
