Craft · No. 168
No. 168仏壇･仏具
Kanazawa Butsudan (Kanazawa Buddhist Altars)
金沢仏壇
kanazawa butsudan · 石川県
Kanazawa Butsudan are ornate Buddhist household altars crafted in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. They are distinguished by the fusion of multiple traditional crafts — including lacquerwork, gold leaf application, intricate carving, maki-e, and metalwork — into a single, magnificently elaborate devotional object.
- Origin
- 石川県
- Category
- 仏壇･仏具
- Materials
- Wood · Lacquer · Gold
- Designation
- Nat'l Traditional Craft
No. IHistory
Kanazawa Butsudan emerged from the thriving castle-town culture fostered by the Kaga Domain, one of the most prosperous domains in feudal Japan outsid…
No. IIMaterials
No. IIITechniques
The making of a Kanazawa Butsudan is a highly collaborative process involving numerous specialist artisans. A woodworker (kijishi) constructs the alta…
No. IVClimate
Kanazawa's climate, characterized by high humidity, heavy rainfall, and abundant snowfall due to its location on the Sea of Japan coast, creates ideal…
