Discovery is the essence of travelling. As I was in Kyoto at the end of January, I met Shuji Nakagawa who took me into his own world. Mr. Nakagawa is a Master of traditional Japanese woodcraft. He is walking in the steps of his father, Kiyotsugu Nakagawa, promoted to “Japan National Treasure” in 2001 for his craftmanship. Mr. Nakagawa is particularly gifted at crafting Oke, the traditional wooden Japanese bucket (for example bath buckets). I was visiting him because he had crafted a Champagne cooler for Dom Pérignon… made out of wood!
I was senstive to our commonalities: the respect of tradition, the transmission of techniques and savoir-faire, the fact that nature and time are important factors in our achievements. This is a natural way for Dom Pérignon to support Japanese traditional craft. Mr. Nakagawa is one of the chosen few with a license to buy the Koyamaki grown in the Japanese Emperor’s woods. The Koyamaki is a precious pine tree wood, from one of the oldest tree species in the world. It is a natural thermal insulator, very light, and also offers high insulation from humidity: a perfect combination of properties for a cooler which can safely find its place on a tatami mat. The wood staves, of a singular white color and surprisingly grainy texture, are carefully prepared and assembled so that no external element is used to tie them together, in the same way a cooper would work. The structure is reinforced by three metal rings. Mr. Nakagawa explained to me that the unique, harmonious curve of this cooler was inspired by the shape of the Dom Pérignon bottle. He had to build a new block plane as well as other tools specifically to create this handmade, limited edition Champagne cooler.
The skill and patience required to make one of these artifacts are simply amazing. I consider it far more than a cooler: it is Nakagawa-san’s personal interpretation of Dom Pérignon, a real work of art.
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Uma obra de arte! http://bit.ly/c8sKBw
Uma obra de arte para a Dom Pérignon http://bit.ly/c8sKBw
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