KAMIDANA - by DAIKUKAI - japanese traditional design KAMIDANA - by DAIKUKAI - japanese traditional design

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KAMIDANA

Kamidana are a traditional presence in many Japanese homes and Dojos. They are mainly connected to Shinto religion, but also greatly appreciated as as purely decoration highlights. These designs will undoubtedly shine their own light in your hands.

KURAMA kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish

KURAMA

natural | ebonized | red

ITSUKUSHIMA kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish

ITSUKUSHIMA

natural | ebonized | red

INARI kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish

INARI

natural | ebonized

MEIJI kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish

MEIJI

natural | ebonized

MEIJI kamidana by DAIKUKAI with open doors, so that the Ofuda caligraphy inside can be seen MEIJI kamidana by DAIKUKAI with open doors, so that the Ofuda caligraphy inside can be seen

A HOME FOR THE KAMI

What are kamidana and what are they used for

Literally meaning “god-shelf” or “spirit-shelf”, kamidana are a type of altar dedicated to one or several of the many Shinto deities. This explains that they are traditionally shaped as miniature temples, although not necessarily in all cases.

The Kami (Shinto deity) is represented by the Ofuda which is kept inside the kamidana. It is also tradition to place offerings on the shelf in the form of small recipients containing salt, rice, sake, water, apart from other symbolic objects.

MEIJI kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood MEIJI kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood

MAKING KAMIDANA

A labour of precision and patience

Chestnut wood is a very heterogenous material that varies wildly in grain pattern and color, not only from tree to tree but even between the different areas of a single trunk depending on the way it is cut. Because of this, each series of kamidana must be made from adjacent boards of the same tree.

And even then there must be careful pairing of the different parts with the ideal grain direction, both for aesthetical and technical reasons (like the natural swelling and shrinking of wood with different humidity levels).

Making Kamidana at DAIKUKAI - wood selection
Making Kamidana at DAIKUKAI - Helder
Making Kamidana at DAIKUKAI - Almudena

Working with small parts is counterintuitively harder than with large ones, and much more technically challenging. The joinery and shaping really need to be very precise, specially with these designs where each part will have to engage with the others next to it.

How precise? Tenths of a milimeter precise.

Almu y Helder en el taller, sujetando un kamidana MEIJI Almu y Helder en el taller, sujetando un kamidana MEIJI

ALL OUR KAMIDANA

Clic the pictures below to learn more about each one

KURAMA kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood ITSUKUSHIMA kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood ITSUKUSHIMA kamidana by DAIKUKAI - ebonized finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood KURAMA kamidana by DAIKUKAI - ebonized finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood KURAMA kamidana by DAIKUKAI - red finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood ITSUKUSHIMA kamidana by DAIKUKAI - red finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood INARI kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood INARI kamidana by DAIKUKAI - ebonized finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood MEIJI kamidana by DAIKUKAI - natural finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood MEIJI kamidana by DAIKUKAI - ebonized finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood ISE kamidana by DAIKUKAI - ebonized finish - japanese traditional design in chestnut wood