Also called Tokyo or Kanto style, the Edo type hibachi is of simple design, with straight sides and small drawers arranged down one side of the front of the box and across the bottom. This hibachi has five drawers. On the right side, there are three small drawers in graduated sizes for tongs and pokers, and two small drawers line the bottom of the brazier. Each drawer is trimmed with a darker wood. All the draw pull handles are hand crafted of bronze. An inner keyaki wood lip encloses the original copper-lined ash holder, and the hibachi’s trim is made of beautifully grained persimmon wood. Persimmon, a rare and highly prized wood in the ebony family, has a beautiful distinctive grain with orange, yellow or brown streaks in the black surface. Inset wooden finger holes with which to lift the hibachi are carved in curvilinear form on both ends. Finished on the top and all four sides, it views well from any angle. There is a finished slab of keyaki which sits atop of the side surface to protect it from burns.

Hibachi were finely crafted braziers used in old homes and shops to provide heat, warm sake and boil water for tea. Wooden hibachi were often designed for shops. They were meant to make a statement about the quality of the goods customers could expect to find there and to keep the storekeeper warm. As such, a lot of money and workmanship were lavished on these naga-hibachi. With a glass inset, these fine pieces make wonderful coffee tables, end tables or display cases for collectibles. (Enlargement Photo 12 shows an illustration of an Edo style hibachi used as a display case in “Japanese Accents in Western Interiors” by Rao and Mahoney, page 12.)

With its beautiful dense grain, keyaki is the most expensive of Japanese woods. It is a sturdy, long-lasting hardwood requiring little maintenance. Pieces crafted from burled keyaki – wood taken from the knotty area near the trunk of the tree that is noted for its handsome, clustered grain that appears wavy or curly – are especially coveted. This wood is now so rare that typically only planed thin sheets of veneer are used instead of solid pieces.

Hibachi were finely crafted braziers used in old homes and shops to provide heat, warm sake and boil water for tea. Tree trunks were sometimes hollowed out and made into hibachi of various shapes. Craftsmen frequently sought out interesting shapes, often choosing the point just where the tree started spreading out its roots and going into the earth. Burl wood is a phenomenon that occurs in nature, and it is highly prized by connoisseurs. This hibachi’s shape is natural and irregular instead of the more ordinary near-round shape, and it represents consummate skill of the craftsman who created it. Smaller wooden hibachi such as this one were also used as personal guest hibachi, smoking hibachi or handwarmers.

This hibachi exemplifies the wabi-sabi aesthetic of Japanese art. “Wabi” connotes a rustic simplicity or understated elegance when applied man-made objects. It can also refer to quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction which add uniqueness and elegance to the object. “Sabi” is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs.

Hibachi were finely crafted braziers used in old homes and shops to provide heat, warm sake and boil water for tea. Tree trunks were sometimes hollowed out and made into hibachi of various shapes. Craftsmen frequently sought out interesting shapes, often choosing the point just where the tree started spreading out its roots and going into the earth. Burl wood is a phenomenon that occurs in nature, and it is highly prized by connoisseurs. This hibachi’s shape is natural and irregular instead of the more ordinary near-round shape, and it represents consummate skill of the craftsman who created it.

With its beautiful dense grain, keyaki is the most expensive of Japanese woods. It is a sturdy, long-lasting hardwood requiring little maintenance. Pieces crafted from burled keyaki – wood taken from the knotty area near the trunk of the tree that is noted for its handsome, clustered grain that appears wavy or curly – are especially coveted. This wood is now so rare that typically only planed thin sheets of veneer are used instead of solid pieces.