Vintage Japanese Hida Takayama Gassho-Zukuri Yaki-Sugi Wooden Jewellery Box

A wonderfully atmospheric vintage Japanese wooden jewellery box modelled after the distinctive gassho-zukuri farmhouses of the Hida region of Japan.

The steeply pitched roof immediately recalls the traditional farmhouses for which the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture is famous. The small wooden plaque at the front is marked 飛騨 高山 — Hida Takayama.

The entire house is constructed of wood with a beautiful yaki-sugi (焼杉) finish. Yaki-sugi is a traditional Japanese technique in which the surface of the wood is lightly charred, bringing out the natural grain while producing the rich brown and black tones seen throughout this piece.

Look closely and there are delightful architectural details everywhere: tiny shoji-style windows, deeply grained roof boards, projecting roof beams and a traditional black ring fitting on the front.

The lower section cleverly conceals a single pull-out jewellery drawer, lined in vivid red fabric. When closed, the drawer becomes part of the façade of the house.

This is quite a substantial piece, measuring approximately 23 cm tall and weighing more than 1 kg. It makes a striking decorative object even when not being used for jewellery or small keepsakes.

Please examine the photographs carefully. They form an important part of the description and show the actual item you will receive.

GASSHO-ZUKURI & HIDA

The word gassho-zukuri (合掌造り) literally refers to a style of construction resembling hands joined together in prayer. The dramatically steep roofs were developed for the heavy winter snowfalls of Japan’s mountainous Hida region.

Takayama and the surrounding Hida countryside are particularly associated with traditional wooden architecture. While the merchant houses of Takayama’s old town are generally known as machiya, the steep-roofed rural farmhouses represented by this jewellery box are gassho-zukuri.

A charming and increasingly uncommon piece of vintage Japanese folk craft — part jewellery box, part architectural miniature and a lovely reminder of old Hida.