Corner Cabinet with Kumiko

Traditional Chinese and Japanese design elements are featured in this piece. The corner cabinet is a Chinese form, characterized by a trapezoidal shape with the sides slightly canted inward. It is called a corner cabinet because of the rounded vertical stiles that make up the four corners.

Kumiko is a traditional Japanese woodworking technique most often used in shoji screens. Narrow strips of Alaskan yellow cedar are precisely cut and assembled to form a geometric design. The pieces are joined together in such a way that glue and nails are not required. The design featured in this piece is kakuasa-no-ha, or square hemp leaf.

The parquetry panels are made from shop-cut, straight grain satinwood veneer. As one walks around the piece, the design pattern changes from triangles to squares to diamonds, depending on the direction of the light source.

Materials
Iroko, satinwood, Alaskan yellow cedar

Dimensions
height 32 in., width 21 in., depth 13 in.

Year 
2017