Craft · No. 173
No. 173仏壇･仏具
Hikone Butsudan (Hikone Buddhist Altars)
彦根仏壇
hikone butsudan · 滋賀県
Hikone Butsudan are traditional Buddhist home altars crafted in and around Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture. Distinguished by their integration of lacquerwork, gold leaf, maki-e, intricate wood carving, and fine metal fittings, they represent the pinnacle of collaborative Japanese craft artistry.
- Origin
- 滋賀県
- Category
- 仏壇･仏具
- Materials
- Wood · Lacquer · Gold
- Designation
- Nat'l Traditional Craft
No. IHistory
The origins of Hikone Butsudan trace back to the Edo period, when the Ii clan, lords of the Hikone domain, actively invited skilled craftspeople from…
No. IIMaterials
No. IIITechniques
The defining characteristic of Hikone Butsudan is its sophisticated division-of-labor system, in which specialists — including woodworkers, lacquerers…
No. IVClimate
Shiga Prefecture's proximity to Lake Biwa maintains a moderate, stable humidity that is well suited to the curing and hardening of urushi lacquer — a…
