一枚の布から仕立てる着物。シンプルを極めた作りは美しいだけでなく生活しやすく日本的だ。
着物は時代に合わせて様々に変化するが、追求しすぎ暴走とも言えるのが十二単ではないだろうか。
重さは20kg以上になり、もはや動くことが制限され”重ね”の華やかさを競う物になった。
他人に見せるために進化した”着物”が、保存目的から他人に自分の知識を見せる目的で使われるよう進化した”本棚”と似ていると思い、
西洋から影響を受けている本棚の形状を日本独自の進化で新しく作ろうと試みた。
”重ね”を表現するのに棚板は面でなく三重の細い格子の線で構成し重ねの美しさを表現した。
着物における重要な要素の色や模様は、知識(本)が代わりになり、一番外側を真鍮の金と強さでさらに飾るとともに華やかさを閉じ込める唐衣とした。
This book shelf has been inspired by Kimono.
Kimono, which is made by exhaustively utilizing a sheet of cloth, is an ultimately sophisticated craft, not only beautiful but also practical, which I would say, very ”Japanese”. Kimono has been developed from time to time. Jyunihitoe, an extremely elegant and highly complex kimono that was only worn by court-ladies in Japan mostly during Heian Era might be a good example of drastic development in kimono history. It weighed over 20kg and even restricted a person wearing from moving. Kimono became nothing practical but a tool to compete for gorgeousness created by layers.
So what’s the connection with a book shelf?
I would say that book shelf has developed from an equipment merely restoring books to a furniture visualizing and displaying the intelligence of the owner, just like Kimono has developed from just a practical wear to a decoration to attract others.
Book shelves made in Japan are often influenced by western countries. Why don’t I make a book shelf originally developed in Japan from my point of view? That was the idea.
To express the beauty of “layer”, I made shelf boards with three thin Japanese style latticework.
As for colors and patterns, which are major features of kimono, the covers of the books will replace for them. I decorated the exterior by golden brass and hard shell to express Karagoromo (short coat worn by ancient noble women).