
TAKEAMI + TAGAMONO
TAKEAMI + TAGAMONO
02.10.2022 - 03.11.2022
The reverence for craftsmen in Japanese culture has contributed to the longevity of Japanese craft traditions. Central to the Japanese craft ethos is the connection between the artisan and the material, a process that begins with the discerning selection of materials. The works on view highlight two time-honored techniques: takeami basket weaving and tagamono woodcraft.


Seventh-generation master-woodcrafter and artist, Shuji Nakagawa Mokkougei carries on the finest tradition of wood-crafting from the region of Kyoto. Techniques passed on from father to son are embodied in Nakagawa-San’s contemporary iterations of the Ki-Oke, the Japanese wooden bucket. The artisans use tagamono, the process of fastening wooden slats in a circle using a hoop called a taga and shaving the slats with a block plane until they become a single, unified object.


Takeami, bamboo basket weaving, dates back as far as the 14th-Century as a venerated craft tradition in Japan. Aspiring weavers would spend years learning under the guidance of master artisans. The meticulous nature of the craft begins with the harvesting, processing, and splicing of the bamboo. A strong, yet lightweight and flexible material, the artisan explores the bounds of the material through intricate plaiting and weaving techniques. The antique woven pieces embody the Japanese culture of meticulous work and craftsmanship heritage that honors the time, dedication, and detailed simplicity of craft.
The exhibition is supplemented by photographs by Mike Mager's "Shokunin: Japan's Vanishing Masters" that documents contemporary craftsmen in Japan.
View The Collections

TAKEAMI | B-0076

TAKEAMI | B-0089

TAKEAMI | B-0161

TAKEAMI | B-0205

TAKEAMI | B-0225

TAKEAMI | B-0232

TAKEAMI | B-0245

TAKEAMI | B-0256

TAKEAMI | B-0268

TAKEAMI | B-0304

TAKEAMI | B-0938

TAKEAMI | B-0939

TAKEAMI | B-0947

TAKEAMI | B-0948

TAKEAMI | B-0959

TAKEAMI | B-0966

TAKEAMI | B-0969

TAKEAMI | B-2927

TAKEAMI | B-2928

TAKEAMI | B-2933

TAKEAMI | B-2934

CEDAR BOWL

DIAMOND OMBRE

DUNE OMBRE

Giant Crater

INDIGO DINING TABLE

INDIGO LOW TABLE

INDIGO TABLE

INDIGO TABLE

KEYAKI ZELKOVA WOOD TRAY

KI-OKE JINDAI-SUGI

KI-OKE SAWARA

KONOHA HINOKI

KOYA MAKI LOW

KOYA MAKI OMBRE

KURO-GAKI PERSIMMON TRAY

Marquetry Box

Marquetry Dent

Marquetry Jewelry Box

Marquetry Rounded

Marquetry Spread

Moon I

Moon II

Moon III

Moon IV

Octagonal Cone

Outer Shell

SHIZUKU HINOKI

WAVE Pentagon

WAVE Square

WAVE Triangle

Yorishiro Box XV

Yorishiro Box XVI

Yorishiro Box XVII

Yorishiro I

Yorishiro II

Yorishiro III

Yorishiro IV

Yorishiro IX

Yorishiro V

Yorishiro VI

Yorishiro VII

Yorishiro VIII

Yorishiro X

Yorishiro XI

Yorishiro XII

Yorishiro XIII

Yorishiro XIV

Yorishiro XIX

Yorishiro XVIII

Yorishiro XX

Yorishiro XXI

Yorishiro XXII

Yorishiro XXIII

Yorishiro XXIV