History

鎌倉彫の歴史は古く、800年前に遡ります。このころ鎌倉に誕生した武家政権「鎌倉幕府」は、中国からの禅宗を受け入れ、唐様(中国様式)の禅宗寺院が建てられました。鎌倉には有名な奈良仏師、「運慶」をはじめとした多くの仏師らが造仏のために集まりました。

同じころ彫漆(ちょうしつ)の技法が日本に伝来しました。彫漆とは、木地に漆を何層にも重ね塗りをして数ミリの厚さにして乾燥させ、それに緻密な彫刻をしてゆく技法です。

しかし、日本では彫漆器に影響を受けながらも、古来の伝統的な彫刻技術をいかして、木地に直に中国伝来の模様(獅子、牡丹、唐草など)を彫刻、その上に漆を重ね塗りしてゆく新技法が登場しました。この新技法で作った仏具が鎌倉彫の起源といわれています。

 

その後、茶道の流行とともに、茶道具が多く作られ、興隆が続き、江戸時代には鎌倉彫は神奈川周辺にも拡大しました。中心となった仏師の家系は、「運慶」を祖と仰ぐ、後藤、三橋の両家でした。

 

しかし、明治維新後の廃仏毀釈により仏像が次々に破壊され、鎌倉彫も一大転機を迎えました。後藤家、三橋家では仏像、仏具制作とともに、日常の器、道具としての鎌倉彫に活路を見出し、パリ万博の度へ出品、受賞をし、近代鎌倉彫の基礎を築きました。

現在では器、家具とともに、美術工芸品としても作られています。

 

The Kamakura Bori Wood Carving has a long history and the tradition started at about 800 years ago. In that age, Kamakura Bakufu, known as  the Government run by Samurai, accepted  the Zen Buddhism from China and built many Chinese style temples. For making Buddhist statues, many famous sculptors like "Unkei" as the Nara sculptor of Buddhist statue came to Kamakura.

At the same time, the carving and painting method named  "Chositu" had come to Japan from China also.

"Chositu" means painting Japanese Lacquer (japan) for many layers on a wood material to be a few millimeters and after Lacquers had been dried, carve it by chisels.

In Japan, got influenced from it, but built up the new method as to carve a wood material first with the Chinese design as Lion,  Peony, Arabesque pattern using Japanese traditional wood carving technology, and painting Japanese Lacquers on a carved wood. The Buddhist altar fittings made by this method were handed down as the origin of Kamakura Bori wood carving. 

After that, according to the Tea ceremony that had became popular, many tea utensils had been made and the Kamakura Bori had a long time consecutive prosperity, in Edo age (1603~1886), the Kamakura Bori has been expanded from Kanagawa area to near by districts.

Main players were Goto family and Mituhasi family in this period. Both families look "Unkei" as ancestor.

 However, after Meiji Restoration, in Meiji age(1886~), the Abolition of Buddhist had happened, consequently, many Buddhist Statues had been destroyed and the Kamakura Bori had been forced to change its business. 

Both families changed their business not only to make  Buddhist Statues, or altar fittings but to make  daily necessities as well, and developed the base of the modern Kamakura Bori.

In a current age, it has been the Artworks.