nunome zogan

Numome Zogan (布目象嵌), literally means cloth inlay. It consists of first engraving a flat surface with crosshatched lines with a chisel to raise a series of burrs on the entire surface and give it a texture that resembles woven cloth.  Wire or metal leaf is then inlaid.

Higo Zogan is similiar to Nunome Zogan, but is based on the techniques developed in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. It has a simple dignified beauty and refinement, a foundation of the samurai culture.  Joyce and I took a short class in Higo Zogan while traveling in Japan for the Rugby World Cup.  

My last experiment was so bad that I remade my chisel and made up a new blank to work with. Spent the afternoon in the zone practicing.  Still a long way to go, but the lines are more consistently spaced, more even in depth, and generally straighter.  Lots more practice to go.   This is mild steel being held with Japanese black pitch.