Hand-Carved Shogi Pieces in a Dynamic New Style

The very best Japanese chess pieces ("shogi koma") are hand carved by craftsmen who each has his own particular style.

Styles vary in elaboration and cursive style as well as in the depth and thickness of the cut.

Apparently one of the craftsman who specializes in carving the deep-cut (fukabori) style pieces has changed his style and also now only works with the finest Japanese boxwood (tsuge). Japanese boxwood is the most prestigious of all the different types of wood used to make shogi pieces.

The new style is quite stunning, more dynamically cursive than the old. These two photos show the old style (left) and the new style (right). The old style is more angular and carved on Siamese boxwood.

Japanese boxwood is warmer in tone and with a finer grain (especially noticable on the rear edge of each piece). When you place a Japanese and a Siamese piece side by side the Siamese piece, beautiful though it is, pales in comparison with the warm lustre of the Japanese boxwood.

The old Fukabori Koma were priced at $280 a set but are no longer available. The new Fukabori Koma, carved on the most prestigious Japanese tsuge wood in a new dynamic style will be priced at $320.

However, I'd like to make it available for the month of May at the same price as the old set - $280 (plus shipping and handling) to readers of this blog.

So if you would like to own a unique piece of Japanese craftsmanship, something that will last a lifetime and retain its lustre for future generations, act now! Go to

http://hirohurl.net/horikoma.html

and order via the "Matsu Fukabori, Siamese Tsuge, $280" Paypal button. I will upgrade the order to a "Matsu Fukabori, Japanese Tsuge, $320" set for no extra charge.

Hand Made Ceramics by Two Master Craftsmen from Hiroshima.

A section dealing with Japanese arts and crafts has recently been added to Japanese-Games-Shop.com. The first page to be uploaded introduces the works of two noted Hiroshima ceramics craftsmen.

Every item they produce is hand made.

The father, Nishimoto Eisen, works in the traditional style of the Jomon era, producing ceramics reminiscent of those of pre-historic Japan.

Nishimoto Eisen's son, Nishimoto Naofumi, works in a contemporary style to produce ceramic vessels for everyday use as well as vases and more abstract ornamental pieces.

Both potters have received several prizes for their ceramics in Japan and on the international stage.

Samples of their works can be viewed at: http://www.japanese-games-shop.com/geijutsu/nishimoto.html