Master Carpenters of Japan, China and Korea | Exhibition Catalogue

This book is the official catalogue of a touring exhibition published by the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, Japan's leading museum specialising in building tools, to commemorate its 30th anniversary. Focusing on the master builders of the three East Asian countries (China, Korea and Japan), it explores from an international perspective the commonalities and diversity in the techniques and spirit of traditional timber architecture.

The exhibition introduces the work of craftsmen who built representative historic buildings such as the Forbidden City (China), Gyeongbokgung Palace (Korea) and Yakushiji (Japan), bringing into relief the "skill" and "spirit" passed down across generations. The catalogue contains high-definition colour photographs of the tools and works used by each country's master builders and records of their production processes, contrasting the precise mortise-and-tenon structures seen in Chinese official architecture, the splendid carved decoration of Korean palaces and the simple, Zen-like aesthetic of Japanese temple architecture.

It also includes essays by specialist researchers, so that readers can deeply understand not only the visual beauty but also the historical background and contemporary significance of East Asian woodworking culture.

Publisher: Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum
Publication year: 2014
Pages: 191
Dimensions: 260 × 190 mm

Japanese Chinese Korean Carpenters / Timber Construction / Traditional Architecture