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Historical Background
Historical Background
Akita Ginsen Zaiku is celebrated as one of the artifacts unique to Akita. This fine technique, which evolved in the feudal government age, comprises traditional work done with precious metals.
Akita filigree dates from 1602 when the first feudal lord of Akita, Satake Yoshinobu, relocated from Hitachi (today’s Ibaraki Prefecture), and an artisan followed him to his new home. Several mines within the region produced gold, silver, and copper of good quality. Successive lords had been protecting them, which encouraged the development of handicrafts and weapons using gold and silver.
After the Meiji era, some in Akita hired artisans to create filigree products, which were exported to other prefectures. As a result, the fame of Akita filigree spread throughout Japan. The industry deteriorated in 1940 when the country imposed regulations on making and selling luxury goods. However, after the war, the Akita filigree was revived in the form of products exported overseas, and a new generation of artisans were trained.
Before the war, the Akita filigree included gold and silver handicrafts, such as filigree and items created using hammering and metal-carving techniques. The traditional products made included smoking pipes, hairpins, vases, ornaments, and drinking glasses. In recent years, various ornaments, such as brooches and pendants, and decorative objects, such as jewel boxes and architraves, have been made with filigree as the main decoration.
Characteristics
Characteristics
This traditional craft uses extra-fine silver wire (as small as 0.2 mm) to make jewelry pieces like necklaces, rings, earrings and so on. In the past, the ginzaiku jewelry was used to decorate sword hilts as well as armor. To make ginsenzaiku, a thin wire is twisted into intricate shapes using both tweezers and hands. The wire is warmed by the artisan with a gas burner before shaping to aid in the bending process. Because the wire is so thin and would be easy to melt, the art craft requires a great knowledge and understanding of how hot the metal is. Since ginsenzaiku is created based on the intuition and experience of craftsmen, no two pieces in the world will be the same.
Female Traditional Artisans
Nowadays, it is stated that only about seven people in Akita Prefecture practice Ginzaiku. Three of these artists are the three women who set up a workshop in Akita City in August 2019 with the intention of "pass(ing) on this tradition to the next generation." The workshop manager is Toshiko Matsuhashi, who has worked in this field since she was 18. When she started, the company where she worked had a gender-based division of labor, where the master (a man) was responsible for wielding, while the women's job was to wind the silver wire into spiral shapes and fit them into molds. When the workshop master retired, Toshiko Matsuhashi opened her workshop with two younger women who worked with her and proceeded to do the process from start to finish instead of having a division of labor. Matsuhashi has stated that she struggled in the world of craftsmen, which she described as a closed, male-dominated society. However, she has fought against those divisions with her workshop and developed the art to appeal to modern markets (from NIKKEI).
To know more...
To know more...
The process of making Ginsenzaiku and its characteristics (Japanese only)
The process of making Ginsenzaiku and the interview of Takeya Honten (Japanese only)
The process of making Ginsenzaiku and the interview of Yadome Silver Atelier (Japanese only)
The VR gallery of Ginsenzaiku by Yadome Silver Atelier
Current activities
Ginsenzaiku is not only sold in Akita but also in urban cities at events at major department stores in Japan, for example. Some ateliers offer workshops for visitors. Some ateliers also offer internships to promote it to young generations.
Where to find the art crafts
Where to find the art crafts
Takeya-honten - 5 minute walk from the west exit of Akita station
Yadome Silver Atelier - 15 minute walk from the west exit of Akita station (Eitaro Furusato Bunkakan, 1st floor). Online store: https://yadome-silver.stores.jp/
Topico- The shopping complex at Akita station (2nd floor)
Akita Prefectural Goods Plaza - 6 minutes walk from the west exit of Akita station (Atrion building, basement level, just south of Senshu park)
Akita Airport souvenir shop - Take a bus for 40 minutes from the west exit of Akita station to the Akita airport (Akita airport, 2nd floor)
Rakuten: https://search.rakuten.co.jp/search/mall/%E7%A7%8B%E7%94%B0+%E9%8A%80%E7%B7%9A%E7%B4%B0%E5%B7%A5/
Price
￥3000 - ￥9000 or more, depending on size and detail of the piece.
Photos by Tohoku Digital Archive
秋田銀線手工藝
直径僅〇.二公厘的銀線、搭配每一根製作出的細緻世界。作為秋田獨有的工藝品而知名的銀線手工藝。關於藩政期以來的精緻指技，傳統的秋田金銀手工藝技法及手工藝工人的自豪正在躍動著。據說秋田銀線手工藝是在慶長七年(一六〇二)，秋田藩初代藩主佐竹義宣從常陸(茨城縣)轉封之際，由追隨前往的金銀手工藝師開始的。領地內的院內及阿仁等有出產優質的金、銀、銅的礦山，在歷代藩主的保護奬勵之下，開發了使用金和銀的手工藝品，並積極製作了武器和各種手工藝品。明治時代以後，秋田的大聖人聘請了許多手工藝大師前來製作。許多產品已移到縣外，於是秋田的金銀手工藝品的名稱在全國各地都廣為人知。昭和十五年(一九四〇)頒布了「限制奢侈品生產和銷售的規則等」，根據國家政策禁止奢侈品的生產和銷售，儘管這個手工藝一時衰退，但由於戰後對出口產品的需求和新技術者的培訓，於是再次取得了成功。包含銀線手工藝的金、銀手工藝產品、鍛金(用金槌敲打鍛造與金屬，並將其拉伸成板狀以製成器具的技術)、彫金(利用彫金與鑿子雕刻金屬的技術)等所有產品一直到戰前為止稱為秋田金銀手工藝，傳統產品包括煙管、髮簪、花瓶、裝飾品和清酒杯等。近年來，銀線手工藝品已成為主要產品，除了諸如胸針和吊墜之類的配件外，還製作了諸如珠寶盒和裱框之類的美術工藝品。
秋田银线细工
直径只有0.2毫米的银线一根根缠绕在一起，创造出了一个纤细的世界。它就是秋田独有的工艺品名物“银线细工”。在这项从藩政时期（江户时代）流传下来的手艺中，保留了秋田金银线细工的传统技法和细工师傅作为手艺人的骄傲。秋田银线细工是庆长七年（公元1602年）秋田藩初代藩主・佐竹义宣从常陆（茨城县）移封之际，由追随藩主来到此地的金银线细工师开创的一种工艺。当时秋田领地内有院内和阿仁等盛产优质金、银、铜的矿山，利用当地的金银，细工物品开始发展起来，武具类和各种手工艺品的制作开始盛行起来。明治时期以后，秋田的大商人雇佣了众多细工师。商人们要求细工师制作金银细工工艺品，并将这些工艺品卖到县外。这使得秋田金银细工闻名全国。昭和十五年（公元1940年），国策“奢侈品等制造售卖限制规则”被公布。根据这一国策，奢侈品的制造和售卖被禁止，因此金银细工一时间衰亡了。不过由于战后需要大量对海外输出的商品，因此出现了新的一批手艺人的养成，于是金银细工又复苏了。到战前为止，包括银线细工在内的金银细工物、锻金（将金属用铁锤敲打成板状制成器物的技法）、雕金（用钻头雕刻金属的技法）等都被称之为秋田金银细工。这些工艺品中包括烟袋、簪子、花瓶、装饰品、酒杯等传统工艺品。近年主要以银线细工制品为主流，主要制作胸针、宝石盒和装裱框等美术工艺品。
아키타 은선 세공
직경은 불과0.2mm의 은선,그 하나 하나를 합쳐서 만드는 섬세한 세계.아키타 독자적인 공예로 유명한 은선 세공.번정 시대부터의 정밀한 손가락 기술에아키타 금은 세공의 전통 기법과세공 공인의 자부심이 맥박치고 있다.아키타 은선 세공은 1607년, 아키타 번의 초대 영주・사타케 요시노부가 히타치(이바라키 현)로부터 옮겨졌을 때, 같이 따라오게 된 금 세공사들에 의해 시작된 것으로 알려져있다.영내에는 인나이 지역이나 아니 지역 등 양질의 금・은・동을 산출하는 광산이 있으며, 역대 영주의 보호 장려하에 금은을 이용한 세공물이 발달하고 무구류와 각종 공예품이 많이 만들어져 있었다.메이지 시대 이후는 아키타의 대성인이 다수의 세공사들을 고용하여 제작하게 하고 제품은 타 지역으로도 많이 이출된 아키타의 금은 세공의 명성은 전국에 알려질 수 있게 되었다.쇼와 15 년(1940년) 국책에 의해 사치품의 제조・판매를 금지 한「사치품 등의 제조 판매 제한 규칙」이 공표되어, 일시 쇠퇴했지만, 전후에는 수출 제품의 수요가 많아져 새로운 기능자 양성도 행해지며 다시 성황을 이뤘다.은선 세공을 포함한 금・은 세공물, 담금(금속을 망치로 두드리고 판상으로 펼펴진 기물을 만드는 기법), 주금(끌로 금속을 조각하는 기법)등의 모든 과정을 전쟁 전까지는 아키타 금은 세공이라고 하였으며, 전통적인 제품으로는 담뱃대, 비녀, 꽃병, 인형, 술잔 등이 있었다. 최근에는 은선 세공이 제품의 주체가 되어 브로치와 펜던트 등 장신구 외에도 보석 상자와 액자 등의 미술 공예품도 제작되고 있다.
Photos by Tohoku Digital Archive
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