Kaki Chōchin

The chōchin, created in collaboration with Kojima Shoten, reinterprets the form of traditional Japanese hanging scrolls (kakejiku) through an uncommon, flattened and slightly oval shape. Designed to be placed closer to the wall rather than suspended in space, it shifts the lantern toward a more pictorial and spatial object. This atypical form is technically challenging to produce within traditional chochin making. The surface is treated with kakishibu, a natural dye made from fermented persimmon tannins, traditionally used in Japan for its durability, water resistance, and deep, earthy tones. The applied pattern is derived from a textile motif used in kimono lining, originally designed so that color appears only at the inner cut edges of the garment. Painted by a master craftsman, the composition brings together material, pattern, and light in a restrained graphic surface.