What is Joinery?
Joinery is a type of woodcraft fabricated by combining wood pieces with one another without using any joining materials such as nails or glue. Products range from small objects such a box or a vase or large furniture such as a chest. As the name indicates, pieces are accurately measured and joined without any warps. There is no jolting, even though no nails are used. But it only takes some knocking by hammer to remove a piece. It is a craft made possible by a minute technique of faultless precision.
Karaki Sashimono of Osaka, Kyo Sashimono of Kyoto, and Edo Sashimono of Tokyo are types of famous joinery, but works by Koji Suzuki is unique and cannot be found in any other school.
Suzuki’s “Diamond Cut”
Joinery not found anywhere else are works made by Suzuki using an exclusive technique called “diamond cut”. Diamond shapes are created by combining sheets of wood. It may sound simple, but it is absolutely an amazing technique. Since joinery uses no adhesive material, more the number of planes, more difficult its assembly becomes. Furthermore, using the thinnest sheets is considered the highest technique in joinery. Therefore, one can imagine how precise the work required to produce diamond cut is.
Suzuki’s works achieve such an exact fit with the tension that makes it look as if they are cut out of one thick piece of lumber. Additionally, Nakata notices that it is lighter than imaged as he takes one in his hands. It is because the wood is “thin”. Diamond cut is now synonymous with Suzuki. His works can easily be spotted in any exhibition.
“If I only exhibit flat works, people ask if I’m not exhibiting any works.” Laughed Suzuki. That is how renown Suzuki is with his diamond cut.
Wine Floating in Air
This diamond cut technique was born from a kind of ”dare not to lose” attitude. “Anyone can make a regular box. When you enter exhibitions, you start to want to create something no one else makes.”
As a result, he invented the diamond cut.
“Technique does not improve unless you aim higher.” Says Suzuki who still enters in exhibitions few times a year.
For “being unique”, what surprised Nakata and the staff alike was the wine holder. The amazing thing is that the wine holder is just a narrow board. There is a hole in the slanted wood and when the neck of a wine bottle is inserted in the hole, it looks as though the bottle is floating on air. And surprisingly, the board is not fastened anywhere. The board is just put there and does not fall over. It is a product made possible by precise joinery craftsmanship. Nakata, who is a wine lover, was fascinated.
“This is sure to surprise anyone, great for a present. You just say “here”, and hand the board to someone.” “But it’s a wine holder. This is awesome.” He said.
In excitement, Nakata gazed at the wine holder pulling the bottle in and out of the board .
