Traditional Crafts of TokyoTraditional Crafts of Tokyo 東京の伝統工芸品

Takaoka Doki

Takaoka Doki Photo

Takaoka Doki dates back to the beginning of the Edo period (1600-1868), when the Maeda clan in Kaga invited seven highly skilled metal casters from a long established metal casting area to come and work at a newly opened workshop. The craft developed through the production of chased bronze Buddhist fittings and then in the Meiji period (1868-1912), the work from this area became known abroad as representative examples were exhibited at the international World Fair in Paris. Now 90 percent of the total cast bronze products in Japan are from Takaoka. Thirteen different casting methods are utilized depending on the type of product to be made and the intended form of expression required. Cast in one of these ways, the range of manufactured goods extends from table ornaments, flower vases, censers, panels and bronze sculptures to large statues of Buddha. Some light fittings are also being made alongside table clocks, paper weights and bookends, which all make use of the qualities of the material.
Toyama