Walnut With Butternut Kumiko Cabinet/Shrine

*This cabinet is currently featured in the "cool stuff" section of

Atomic Ranch Magazine.

 

Inspired by traditional Buddhist shrines, this one of a kind custom designed and built cabinet, is extremely versatile. You can use it as a bookshelf, a display cabinet, a dining room sideboard, a bar, a family entryway shrine, or anything you'd like to cherish in a special place. This cabinet will be a highlight in any room.

This cabinet features:

Two "floated" butterut kumiko panels that serve as door pulls. The kumiko pattern is called "Asa-no-ha" and represents a hempleaf. This ancient square kumiko pattern is believed to encourage healthy growth and is often used as a design motif for children.

This cabinet's kumiko has 336 hand chiseled joints.

The two interior "Cloud Lift" shelves are original and unique to Philomath Woodworks. These shelves are height adjustable as well as invertable. The two Philomath Cloud Lift shelves create nine unique spaces versus the three spaces of two traditional straight shelves. Philomath Cloud Lift shelves create natural book ends, as well as limitless custom sized spaces to uniquely display your objects.

One lower shelf perfect for a vase, books or photos.

The walnut carcass "floats" on four bolts and spacers creating a dramatic negative space between the carcass and its base. The base is constructed with numerous examples of traditional hand cut Japanese joinery. All the joints are locked in place with walnut dowels. Finally the dowel ends are chiseled to a three sided pyramid point. The four joints that marry the legs to the feet are locked in place with a wedge. The pressure from the wedge drives a half dovetail shaped tenon backwards into its identically negative shaped mortise, creating a beautifully decorative, subtle, extremely strong  joint.

The entire cabinet (including the back) features solid, intentionally placed, highly figured unsteamed walnut. 

 

Kumiko is a delicate and sophisticated technique of assembling wooden pieces without the use of nails. Thinly slit wooden pieces are grooved, punched, mortised, and then fitted individually using a plane, saw, chisel and other tools to make fine adjustments. After dry fitting I then reassemble using glue to make the kumiko structural for furniture. The technique was developed in Japan in the Asuka Era (600-700 AD), and has since been refined and passed down through generations of craftsmen who are passionate about the tradition of kumiko. You can watch my "Making Kumiko" video on the ABOUT page.

 

Proprietary Philomath LinBee Finish - a natural blend of linseed oil and Montana beeswax (for more details please see LinBee product page).