
Today’s truly drool-worthy furniture maker was sent to me by a friend who works with the brand. Thank you, Andrew Joseph!
The Matsuoka family first began making furniture on the Japanese island of Honshu in the mid-1800s. The family business made a name for itself producing traditional Japanese wedding furniture. In those days, upon the birth of a daughter to a well-to-do family, the father would plant trees that would mature along with his child. In preparation for her wedding, the trees would be cut down and turned by craftsmen into beautiful pieces of fine furniture. The pieces would be presented to the couple to bring them good fortune and happiness in their life together. This furniture had to incorporate luxurious finishes and timeless style and also be sufficiently well made to last through the ages.
Nearly 150 years of craftsmanship has allowed Matsuoka to perfect their furniture-making techniques. While the brand’s style has evolved to exhibit a distinctly modern Japanese flair, the company still practices many of the traditional artisanal methods that made the family famous. Matsuoka Furniture’s use of exotic woods, precise inlays, and delicate veneers has made them an iconic brand in their native Japan, and now in the international design world as well.
You can see all of Matsuoka Furniture’s stunning designs on their website and on Facebook and Instagram.
October 8, 2019 at 7:42 am
I loved the Bonsai best. But all of them are beautiful. Hal
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October 8, 2019 at 8:51 am
They’re so beautiful, I want to touch them!
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October 8, 2019 at 7:47 am
Beautiful craftmanship to say the least. We have a new work shop close to us …they make farm tables…more my style.
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October 8, 2019 at 8:51 am
I like mixing up modern and antique and rustic and slick, so I’d have no trouble finding a place for these beauties!
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October 8, 2019 at 2:27 pm
These pieces are so luscious. The craftsmanship is just impeccable and the design flawless. The history is rather interesting – and you’ve certainly taught me something new today. Glossing over the misogyny of dowry systems and marrying off daughters, there is something touching about the idea of harvesting and crafting the timber you have planted to celebrate the arrival of a new baby. We hiked through an abandoned village in Vermont this summer and one of the traditions those people had was to plant a tree around the perimeter of the cemetery when someone new joined the family and then that tree would be felled to become the lumber for their coffin. The Japanese tradition is just as pragmatic but much more cheering.
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October 8, 2019 at 10:28 pm
Yes to all of that! I was really interested to learn the history of Japanese wedding furniture, too.
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