(lit., "

parquet Parquet (; French for "a small compartment") is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect in flooring. Parquet patterns are often entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges—but may contain curves. T ...

work") is a type of traditional

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

marquetry Marquetry (also spelled as marqueterie; from the French ''marqueter'', to variegate) is the art and craft of applying pieces of wood veneer, veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns or designs. The technique may be applied to case furn ...

developed in the town of during the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. Resembling a type of

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

, is created through the combination of fine oblong rods of wood chosen for their grain, texture and colour, making an intricate surface pattern which is then sliced into thin layers. It is commonly found on traditional Japanese

puzzle box A puzzle box (also called a secret box or trick box) is a box that can be opened only by solving a puzzle. Some require only a simple move and others a series of discoveries. Modern puzzle boxes developed from furniture and jewelry boxes with ...

es and similar decorative items.

Technique

The rods are glued together to form large sections of the desired geometric pattern, often called a seed plate, before being sliced into thin layers (in the technique), which are then glued onto boxes and other handicraft works. Alternatively, the entire plate can be carved out (in the technique) to create a single piece. To add to the glaze and sturdiness of the surface, finishing coatings of

lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be c ...

are applied.

Woods used

A number of different types of wood are used in the creation of . Both the spindle tree (''

Euonymus ''Euonymus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family Celastraceae. Common names vary widely among different species and between different English-speaking countries, but include spindle (or spindle tree), burning-bush, strawb ...

'' spp.) and '' Ilex macropoda'' are used for the colour white; aged wood from the tree (''

Cercidiphyllum japonicum ''Cercidiphyllum japonicum'', known as the Katsura (from its Japanese name カツラ, 桂), is a species of flowering tree in the family Cercidiphyllaceae native to China and Japan. It is sometimes called ''caramel tree'' for the light caramel sm ...

'') is used for black; '' Picrasma quassioides'', mulberry (''

Morus alba Morus may refer to: People * Alexander Morus (1616–1670), Franco-Scottish Protestant preacher * Henryk Moruś (1943–2013), Polish serial killer * Huw Morus (1622–1709), Welsh poet * Thomas More or Morus (1478–1535), English philosopher * M ...

'') and the Chinese lacquer tree (''

Toxicodendron vernicifluum ''Toxicodendron vernicifluum'' (formerly ''Rhus verniciflua''), also known by the common name Chinese lacquer tree, is an Asian tree species of genus '' Toxicodendron'' native to China and the Indian subcontinent, and cultivated in regions o ...

'') are used for yellow; the camphor tree (''

Cinnamomum camphora ''Camphora officinarum'' is a species of evergreen tree indigenous to warm temperate to subtropical regions of East Asia, including countries such as China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. It is known by various names, most notably the camph ...

'') and '' Maackia'' are used for brown, black walnut (''

Juglans nigra ''Juglans nigra'', the eastern American black walnut, is a species of deciduous tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae, native to central and eastern North America, growing mostly in riparian zones. Black walnut is susceptible to thousand can ...

'') for purple, the Japanese cucumber tree ('' Magnolia obovata'') for blue and Chinese cedar (''

Toona sinensis ''Toona sinensis'', common name, commonly called Chinese mahogany, Chinese cedar, Chinese toon, beef and onion plant, or red toon (; ; ; ; ) is a species of ''Toona'' native to eastern and southeastern Asia, ranging from northern Korean peninsula ...

'') for red.

Uses

is commonly found on the outside of traditional Japanese secret boxes or

es, but may also be used to create or decorate many other items, such as trays, chests, jewelry boxes, vases, photo frames and drink coasters.

References

External links

Collection Ruth und Clemens Stupperich
Yosegi - collection (catalogue) {{Woodworking Surface decorative techniques in woodworking Japanese art Edo period Japanese words and phrases

Technique

Woods used

Uses

See also

References

External links