Japanese Futon For Your Home

Should It Be Traditional Or Western?

A futon, simply put, is a small couch which turns into a bed when unfolded. It is actually one type of mattress that makes up a Japanese bed, sold at specialty stores called futon-Ya in Japan and other department stores. A Japanese futon set usually costs under 10,000 yen (around$83).

Traditional Futon and Western Versions

A traditional Japanese futon set generally consists of a mattress called a shikibuton, a comforter called Kakebuton, blanket called m fu, and a pillow called makura. The makura is usually filled with beans, buckwheat chaff, or plastic beads. The 4 to 5 cm thick futon itself is flat, having a fabric exterior stuffed with cotton and/or synthetic batting.

Futons are designed to be laid on Tatami – a traditional Japanese flooring created from individual woven straw mats of uniform size and shape, bordered by brocade or plain black cloth, and packed with straw. Styrofoam may also be used with the recent ones. The futon can be folded away and stored in a closet called oshiire when not in used.

There is also a futon alternative called a "zabuton" (za, sitting + futon) which is a cushion for sitting, on tatami floors.

Western futons are thicker and larger than Japanese traditional futons, typically filled with foam and batting in a number of layers, and closely resembling conventional furniture.

Unlike traditional futons, western versions are not designed to be stored away when not in use. It is actually a bed -cum- couch to be placed on a configurable frame for the dual purpose.

The western style has also gained some popularity in Japan. These futons are constructed primarily out of cotton and usually handmade. Though having close resemblance with conventional mattresses, they lack the same type of springs and synthetic casings. The western futon version is a cheaper and more convenient substitute to conventional beds.

Basic Elements of a Western Futon

There are three main elements of a western futon – the frame, the mattress and the cover and pillows.

The frame is the foundation for strength, durability and ease of use. It has to be made of a strong, dense wood which can withstand the stress of frequent conversions. The Futon frames are of three types – Bifold, Trifold and Loveseat frame.

In the Trifold frame, the mattress folds in thirds the long way while in the Bifold frame, the mattress folds in half and is best for couches and everyday conversion from bed to couch. In the Loveseat frame, the mattress comes in two parts – couch and ottoman – and is best for small spaces.

The mattress is the seat cushion to provide comfort for both sitting and sleeping. Futon mattresses have to be of good quality in order to avoid hard and uncomfortable futons.

The cover and the pillows are the finishing touches for looks and protection. The futon cover is supposed to be essentially decorative but it is also the component which protects the mattress from dirt and spills.

By: Carl Walker

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Futons are stylish, functional, and versatile; they can be integrated into nearly any setting.

Feel free to read more about decor in Japanese homes and the traditions and flavors of Japan here: Japanese Home Decor – Japanese Decorations & Paintings – Japanese Style Furniture – Japanese Decorating & Ancient Culture – Japanese Wall Decor & Traditional Japanese Decor – Japanese Bedrooms – Japanese Rooms – Japanese Shoji Screen – Japanese Futon – Japanese Wall Fans.

About Futon – Japanese Mattresses

If you have a difficult of finding the way out from the problem of finding a corner to sleep in a very small rooms, you are not alone! As there are also millions of people who have same problem who are living in cramped quarters, whether they are college students, have too many roommates, or living in a tiny room space.

Apart from saving room space, there are also another benefit of using futon, which is its flexibility of use. You can use futon in the guest room where you also might have limited space and have a wonderfully decorated room making the most out of your limited space.

You can purchase a Futon in a number of different patterns and styles, that will enable you to make the Futon suitable for any guest room’s decor as well as your house style.

Futon is a kind of mattress which originates from Japan. Even though it is now very popular among western countries, the style of mattress itself as well as the usage is not always the same as what they are used for in Japan.

Here, mattress rests upon a Tatami mat and isn’t set upon a bed frame, as is the norm in the West. The Futon mattress also is folded and stored away during the day in Japan.

In fact, Japanese futon are made from natural cotton so it is not harmful to the environment. The normal way to clean this kind of futon is a simple procedure. One would only put it outside in the sun and hit it by using hard bamboo stick to get rid of dust and mold. This is actually a very healthy practice as science is just now releasing facts regarding the problem with germs and bacteria thriving on mattresses and pillows.

In western countries, as mentioned above, the futon is generally placed in a bed frame. Hence, it is uncommon to have it cleaned regularly or taken out from its frame and put outside in sunlight daily (which would be almost impossible). However, one thing is similar, and that is that most western futon mattresses are eco-friendly as well and are made with foam style batting.

Although thicker than their Japanese counterparts, they are often springless mattresses.

By: Tuchchai Suwanawong

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

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Japanese Lacquer, Finest Sprinkled Pictures

Before I describe these unique and beautiful works of art, exclusively Japanese, I feel that you need to know more about Lacquer, the extraordinary medium that was used. Only then will you fully appreciate these brilliant creations.

For readers who are unfamiliar with old Japanese Lacquer, I suspect you will be thinking of the typical modern Lacquer trays and bowls that are mass-produced. These items are very decorative, but completely fail to compare with the magnificent earlier hand made works.

From China to Japan

Lacquer is really the sap from a tree known as ‘Rhus Vernicifera’. The Chinese were the first to discover and use it, at least a century before Christ, when it was used as a paint, and more often as a preservative. It was a very effective preservative, as many pieces still exist from as far back as the Han period 206BC, when Lacquer was very popular and in extensive use.

The earliest known Japanese Lacquer dates back to about the 7th Century, but it was not until the 14th and 15th century that the Japanese Lacquer works became so much more decorative. By then they had refined and created exceptional techniques, far finer and more beautiful than the Chinese lacquer that they had simply originally copied.

The Chinese had used shades of black, brown, yellow, green, and mostly red or cinnabar Lacquer. They mainly favoured deep carving of the Lacquer, to form the decoration, and produced some outstanding work.

They often applied the colours in layers, so that once carved, these colours would be revealed. One particular technique is known as ‘Guri’ Lacquer: the colours mostly red and black were built up in layers, and then a geometric or symmetrical pattern would be carved with a deep `V’ shaped cut, so that all these alternating layers would be revealed within the cuts. The Chinese also painted, incised and inlaid Lacquer with iridescent pieces of shell, but these works were treasured by the Japanese often more so, than by the Chinese.

To begin with all these methods were copied, but by about the 15th century the Japanese had become, justifiably, the unrivalled masters of the art!

Lacquer was, quite rightly, highly valued for its lasting qualities and strength. A very high gloss could be achieved, proving impervious to alcohol, acids and hot liquids. It would also have appealed to the Zen Buddhism ideals of ‘Yin and Yang’, as Lacquer appears to be so delicately beautiful and light in weight. Yet, it is hard, impermeable and enduring.

The preparation

It is a very difficult medium to work with, uncompromising, sticky, and time consuming. It had to be strained to remove any impurities, and gently heated to thicken, and evaporate any moisture content. All the time it had to be kept in a dust free environment, and added to these difficulties, in its liquid form it gives off a poisonous gas! Strangely, it requires a damp humid atmosphere for it to harden.

It had to be applied in very thin layers, otherwise it runs, and if too thick, will not harden at all but will just form a skin. After each layer had hardened, all the time in a dust free area, it was carefully rubbed down before another layer would be added.

An average piece consisted of a minimum of 30 layers, in order that there would not be a trace of the wood base, or on larger pieces the hemp cloth applied in the early layers, to help strengthen the wood. The Lacquer Artist would have taken over, only at this stage, to create the decoration by the addition of yet even more layers.

The number of colours possible, due to chemical reactions with pigments and the composition of Lacquer were limited. So Lacquer artists were still restricted and blue was a very rare colour.

It was the Japanese that developed the idea and the techniques of adding gold and silver to liven up the decoration. Real gold and silver metals were used in the form of foil, flakes, metal particles of various grades, as well as powders. All of these precious metals were brilliantly used to great advantage, particularly in the late 18th and early 19th century.

The sprinkling of gold or silver metal particles had been used before and over a very long period, to brighten up the interiors. Even very early Lacquer works have ‘Nashiji’ inside. This is where fine particles of gold have simply been sprinkled in to the Lacquer. Some were scattered unevenly, producing cloud effects, whilst others varied in the density. However no pictures were formed.

Sprinkled, not painted!

In the 18th century they invented and refined the idea of sprinkled pictures, and these were used to great effect in what are known as ‘Togadashi’ pieces. They are easily identified, as the surface of the Lacquer is always perfectly smooth in Togadashi work.

These designs and amazing pictures were created purely, by very skilfully pouring various grades of fine metal and pigment powders on to the wet Lacquer, so that they would sink in. There was no way of correcting any errors! Extra layers of the background colour, normally black, would be added over the picture. Then by carefully polishing down until the picture reappears, the top edges of the metal particles would be made to glisten from the polish, providing brilliance impossible to achieve any other way. The last very thin coats would be of the purest clear Lacquer, providing the mirror like high gloss finish.

Various shades of black were created, by charcoal mixed with different quantities of silver powder, so that they could even simulate painted brush strokes. These powders were mainly used for black pictures on a gold background, that one would never imagine were created by sprinkling techniques. What is also quite remarkable, is the very fine degree of control in shading that they were able to achieve. This meant that far more sophisticated pictures could be created, than had ever been seen before.

There are three types of sprinkled picture techniques in all and Togadashi, already described, is my favourite! Another is ‘Hiramakie’, which is where quite a thickly sprinkled gold powder is used, and the lacquer is raised just a little above the background. As usual the surface is polished and burnished, before the final clear layers, and has a very rich appearance. Lastly, there is ‘Takamakie’, which is again similar to Hiramakie, only it is in much higher relief. This thickness was achieved by building up and modelling the areas required in relief, with a combination of Lacquer and charcoal, before applying the gold powder layers.

Highlights of pure gold

Many Lacquer artists made use of a combination of these techniques in a piece of work. Just to further enrich these pictures, finely shaped tiny pieces of pure gold, so small that it is hard to imagine how they were handled, are individually applied near the final surface to create highlights. Frequently these are exactly matched shapes, tiny squares or diamond pieces that are all so amazingly very accurately placed.

Togadashi Boxes

One of our favourite examples of this type of work in this collection is a fine Box that appears as two overlapping boxes. One shows the figure of the swordsmith forging the sword ‘Little Fox’, assisted by the Fox Spirit in the guise of a woman; the other has an overall design of a mass of gold and coloured flowers.

Looking closely at the gold centres of the flowers one can see how these consist of a number of very tiny shaped flakes of gold; each flake has been carefully placed by hand.

It also has a marvellous fitted tray just in gold Togadashi of three foxes running in a landscape with a really dream like quality. The border of the tray is decorated in ‘Gyobu’, which is where each individual flake of gold has also been positioned by hand, rather than sprinkled.

Another wonderful Box that is purely, fine Togadashi, depicts a busy street market scene, and what more can I say, other than it is an outstanding piece of work!

Neither of these boxes is signed, but they are nevertheless, of the finest quality. To see the photographs please use the link at the end of this article. These wonderful lacquer works feature on Japanese inro too (the subject of another article).

Modern works

A word of warning when buying lacquer, it is important that the condition is both good and original. As there are now some cleverly repaired pieces on the market, expert advice should always be obtained.

Fine Lacquer is made even today, and there are certain living traditional Lacquer artists who are held in very high esteem in Japan. So much so, that some have been designated as ‘Living National Treasures’, and their contemporary hand made Lacquer work is in high demand and extremely expensive.

I have seen an example, at a Lacquer study weekend held at the V & A museum. A remarkable modern box that combined thick clear Perspex with black Lacquer in a geometric design that really was very dramatic. Personally I still prefer the earlier works and for the cost of this modern box a very good collection could be formed!

About The Author: John N. Cohen

All about how beautiful Japanese lacquer, found in 18th & 19th century works of art where exquisite pictures were formed, surprisingly, by sprinkling techniques rather than being painted.

The author has been a very keen collector for many years creating ‘The Cohen collection’.

See the photographs for this article by using the following link:

http://www.jncohen.net/antiques/articles.htm

http://www.jncohen.net/Japanese_lacquer/index.htm

Feel free to read more about decor in Japanese homes and the traditions and flavors of Japan here: Japanese Home Decor – Japanese Decorations & Paintings – Japanese Style Furniture – Japanese Decorating & Ancient Culture – Japanese Wall Decor & Traditional Japanese Decor – Japanese Bedrooms – Japanese Rooms – Japanese Shoji Screen – Japanese Wall Fans.

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