About Tankin
鍛金は、金属の叩くとのびて広がるという性質を活かし、叩いて形をつくる技法です
| What is Tankin (hammering) |
Tankin takes advantage of the property of metal that allows it to stretch and expand when hammered, creating shapes by hammering. The process begins with bending a sheet of metal over a concave wooden block using a wooden mallet. Then, variously shaped iron rods called "ategane" are inserted into the wooden block, gradually shaping the metal. It can take tens of thousands of hammer blows to complete a single piece. Since metal is hard, the process involves repeatedly heating it to soften and then hammering it. Tankin artworks are thin, light, and durable. They can be finished smoothly, so the hammer marks are almost invisible, or the hammer marks can be left visible for a textured finish.
| Tools Used in Tankin |
| Shibori and Uchiage |
There are two main methods in tankin:
- Shibori: This involves using a tool called an "ategane" and a mallet to hammer the outside of a thin metal sheet up to about 1.5 mm thick, squeezing the wrinkles near the mouth to shape it. This method can create round objects as well as three-dimensional shapes like animals.
- Uchiage: This method involves using a heavy mallet, similar to those used for making knives and swords, to hammer the inside of a thicker metal sheet around 3 mm thick over an iron block to shape it.
| Making Process of Tankin |
①Heat the metal to about 600 to 700 degrees Celsius
②Place it on the concave part of the wooden block and hammer it with a mallet (expansion)
③Hammer it on an ategane matching the curve (squeezing)
④Repeat the hammering process tens of thousands of times using different tools to complete the piece
| Patterns Created by Tankin |
hagiawase (hard soldering) : This method involves attaching different metal sheets together like patchwork or stripes and then hammering them to shape.
Mokume-gane: This technique involves layering different metal sheets, welding them together, then carving and shaving them before hammering them into shape
＜Source: "What is Traditional Kōgei? Edited by Japan Kōgei Association East Japan Branch / Published by Unsodo, P.42,43>
