Gyokusendo, Striking Copper for Two Hundred Years

‘Strike. Make your mark on time.’ That is how the motto of Gyokusendo, a centuries-old factory based in the Tsubame region by the Sea of Japan, could be translated. For seven generations, the Tamagawa family artisans have been beating copper by hand using an ancestral technique that has received numerous awards. It has notably been designated as an intangible cultural treasure by the Japanese Ministry of Culture.

Time leaves its traces, and according to the precept of wabi-sabi, the true value and soul of an object are found in its patina. Unlike the objects with planned obsolescence that surround us, the life force contained in Gyokusendo’s creations only increases with each stroke. As the gaze is absorbed by the warm reflections of the hammered copper of a cup, one can discern the infinite patience of the artisan, shaping traditional objects that are made to last.

More information on Gyokusendo can be found on the factory’s website.