Tiger Wabori Art Panel

Wada Chokin Kobo is a workshop in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, devoted to chokin — the art of engraving pictures into metal with a tagane (chisel) and hammer. Shunsuke Wada, the fourth-generation craftsman, carries on the technique.

The subject engraved here is a tiger. Valiant and fearless in bearing, the tiger has long appeared in the art and ornament of Japan and East Asia. Regarded as a talisman that repels evil and keeps calamity at bay, it is also a symbol of courage and decisiveness — a motif that lends you the vitality to press forward.

The brass plate that forms the base is a traditional craft product of Takaoka, blackened by an artisan through oxidation coloring. Into this black surface, the tiger was engraved by driving in the tagane. The way the deeply cut lines catch the light and gleam is something only hand engraving can achieve.

So that you can enjoy the character of the engraved cuts, the piece is not framed under acrylic or glass. It is an art panel that can be hung on the wall just as it is.

Because each piece is engraved by hand, the character of the carving and the tone of the black differ slightly from one to the next. Enjoy the play of shadow that shifts with the light, and the way the brass deepens with time.