青森県の伝統工芸品（南部総桐箪笥）

職人技が映える美しい桐の柾目が醸し出す気品あふれる「南部総桐箪笥」

古く城下町として発達した三戸町は南部桐生産の中心地である。大正時代初期から桐材は下駄にも利用され昭和30年代まで全国に出荷されていた。
三戸町内及び周辺の町には家具店があり明治時代中ごろから八戸周辺で桐箪笥の製作が始まったとみられている。
総桐箪笥は金具のほかは釘に至るまですべて木材を使用して作り上げられる。桐の生命ともいうべき柾目は、丹念な手作業が醸し出す美しさと気品を感じさせる。
　

Glowing with craftsmanship, “Nambu Paulownia Chest” overflows with elegance produced by the beautiful straight grain of paulownia wood 

The old castle town of Sannohe is the center of Nambu Paulownia wood production. From the beginning of the Taisho period (1911-1925), "geta" were made using this wood, and during the mid- fifties, the clogs were shipped across the country.
There were furniture shops in Sannohe and the surrounding area, and from the Meiji period (1867-1911), chests were created using paulownia wood in the Hachinohe area.
Aside from the metal fittings, all the materials used to make the chests, even the nails, are made from wood materials. The straight grain, which is the lifeblood of the tree, is enhanced by delicate hand crafting that brings out the beauty of the material.