A traditional Japanese engraving pattern that some craftsmen call Showa-bori

Traditional Japanese engraving patterns

Not long ago in Japan, fewer and fewer people knew the term “metal engraving.” However, as a result of the increasing number of platforms where information can be shared, such as YouTube and various social networking sites, I feel that it is no longer as minor as it once was.

A long time ago, when I showed people my engraved patterns, they would say, "It looks like Hawaiian jewelry," but that sort of comment is becoming less common.

Metal engraving itself is said to have originated from the technique of engraving lines into metal that was introduced to Japan during the Nara period.

Additionally, traditional engraving patterns include continuous floral motifs like those found in Hawaiian jewelry, and some older engravers have a style of engraving they call "Showa engraving."

The carving method involves continuously carving the same motif, but the design is densely packed into a limited area.

A carving style called Western carving

This carving style, called "Showa carving" by some, is a little confusing as it is written and introduced in specialist books as "Western carving."

Nowadays, when Western carving is mentioned as a metalworking technique, it brings to mind the hand-carved technique using a Western-style chisel used in Italy and other countries, but this "Western carving" pattern, which carves a continuous floral motif, refers to a Western-style floral motif carved with a chisel used in Japanese metalworking.

Some people say it's Japanese tattooing because it's carved with a Japanese chisel, but it can be easy to get confused because Japanese plant motifs each have their own traditional designs.

A pattern similar to the ancient rosette and family crest of the Warring States period

This Showa carving pattern is a design that packs patterns into a limited area to represent flowers and other designs, so the rosette that we previously introduced on this site is the closest in form to the pattern.

Of course, the idea of fitting a pattern into a limited space is likely inspired by family crests that have been used in Japan for a long time, but what is really interesting is that no matter how far apart the East and West of the world and the historical flow of things are, there is a thread running through the design.