【Discover the Feature Exhibition】The Beauty and Technique of Handicraft 2 －Magemono

The Hakata Traditional Craft Museum and the Fukuoka City Museum Collaboration Project: The Beauty and Technique of Handicraft 2 －Magemono

Feature Exhibition Room 4

June 14th (Tue.) ~ August 15th (Mon.), 2022

Small dining table called ‘Poppo-zen’

Magemono are wooden containers made by boiling boards of cypress or cedar, bending the planks while they are still hot, and then binding the edges of the planks together with cherry bark.

Akita, Tochigi, and Nara prefectures are well known for of production of Magemono. In Fukuoka, they are mainly produced in Maedashi in Higashi Ward and they are called ‘Hakata Magemono.’ Hakata Magemono are made from straight-grained timbers without knots which are used without lacquer or any other coating. The beauty of the straight grain of the wood is one of its notable characteristics.

Since ancient times in the town around Hakozaki Shrine in Maidashi, Magemono were used to deliver ritual items to make offerings in Shinto rites. The products gradually became more popular and more widely used as common people began to use similar manufacturing methods to make rice boxes, Sushi Oke (wooden bowls for sushi rice), and other daily items.

Among these magemono is the ‘Poppo-zen,’ which is small dining table. This table has a pine-bamboo-apricot design, a combination called Sho-chiku-bai, symbolizing happiness, and ‘the crane and the turtle,’ which symbolize longevity. These patterns are painted with a color wash. Poppo-zen are used in various rituals in young children's lives, such as ‘Okuizome’ (the weaning ceremony) , or ‘Ozen-zuwari’ in which three-year-old children are given their first adult meal and begin eating with chopsticks.

In this exhibition, we will introduce Magemono products that have been, and are still, used in various aspects of daily life.

Exhibition view

【Discover the Feature Exhibition】 War and Way of Living 31

Feature Exhibition Room 1

June 14th (Tue.) ~ August 21st (Sun.), 2022

Album with military mail

 On June 19th 1945, a large formation of B-29 long-range bomber planes from the United States flew over Fukuoka. Here they dropped a large number of incendiary bombs, between midnight and the early morning hours. This is known as the ‘Great Fukuoka Air Raid,’ which left the central part of the city as burnt-out ruins.

 Since 1991, the Fukuoka City Museum has held this annual series exhibitions, ’War and Way of Living, ’ annually to commemorate the 'Great Fukuoka Air Raid.’ This year, we will introduce you to military mail, including letters and comfort items.

 During the war, ‘home front citizens,’ who did not directly participate in the war, were incorporated into the war support system. The mail sent between the war front and the home front was called ‘military mail’ to distinguish it from ‘general mail.’ Military mail played a connecting role between the war front and the home front in that those involved could stay in touch with one another.

 We hope that through the focus on the gathered military mail in this exhibition, you will use the opportunity to learn about this period of the war and how it affected those involved. We also hope this will be an opportunity for you to reflect on the importance of peace.

Exhibition View