The Iwayado Tansu (traditional Japanese chest of drawers) is a well-known piece of traditional Iwate furniture. Mostly made of Japanese zelkova and paulownia wood, its imposing texture comes from the lacquer finish on the fine zelkova grain used on its surfaces. Paulownia wood is used for the inner parts of the drawers, as it is hermetic and warp-resistant, ensuring the long conservation of stored clothes. This is folk craft furniture that unites beauty with utility.
This craft was born in the 1780s when Muramasa Iwaki, lord of Iwayado Castle, tried to break out of an economy that was solely reliant on rice production. Iwate Prefecture boasts many fine Japanese zelkova forests in the Kitakami mountain range and is also a producing center of a type of paulownia wood known as Nambu paulownia. Iwate is also renowned for being a producing center of lacquer. Such craft took root in Iwate because it is an industry that uses to its full potential the blessings of its land. Demand for traditional tansu furniture has fallen off in our modern era, but artisans are putting efforts in developing products matching modern-day lifestyle, all while safeguarding these traditional techniques.
Lots of labor and time are put into the process. Lumber is dried naturally over many years in order to prevent warping, while kidori techniques are used to optimize material collection before artisanship is finally applied. This is done by the woodworkers, lacquer artisans, and metal carvers who all diligently apply their craft by hand in an integrated process. The design of metal fittings for Iwayado Tansu furniture also has its own peculiarities.
There are two sorts of metal fittings: one is handmade with patterns created using a hammer and a chisel on plates of iron or copper; and the other type of fitting is known as "Nambu Tekki," which are cast. Metal carving is also an Iwate tradition.
