Returning to his birthplace to become an engraving artistOne technique of engraving is “zogan”. ”Zo” means molding and ”gan” refers to inlay. First, the design is molded, and then another is inlaid. This is “zogan” art. |
A breath of fresh airHe was somewhat reluctant to return since he was doing well as a designer. But he found out that they were looking for instructors in traditional crafts at Ishikawa Kogyo Experiment Site, and made a decision to return in hopes that his knowledge of design would be useful. While learning traditional ”zogan” skills from Takahashi, he also experimented with different skills, and began using different metals to bring out different colors. This added a new twist to ”Kaga zogan”. |
Relaying the technique to the next generationNakata tried the ”zogan” technique for the first time. On a bowl made of metal alloy, a handmade chisel is used to engrave lines using a hammer. Nakagawa explained that different chisels were used to create lines of different width, and each chisel was made by Nakagawa himself. It was an extremely difficult task, as the chiseling had to be done little by little and it was very difficult to control. |
ACCESS
- Mamoru Nakagawa, Engraver
- Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture