Picture Frames: A Traditional Craft with Over 150 Years of History

I never knew that the picture frames you often see in museums are a traditional craft.

It's not widely known, but Tokyo frames are a traditional craft with a history spanning over 150 years.

When Western-style painting ('yoga') came to Japan during the Meiji era, art was broadly divided into Japanese-style ('nihonga') and Western-style. Consequently, frames also split into Western-style frames imported from the West and Japanese-style frames ('wagakubuchi') that evolved from traditional cabinetry ('sashimono').

In the West, frame ornaments are typically made from hardened plaster. However, for mass production in Japan, artisans who carved wooden molds for traditional sweets like 'rakugan' began to apply their skills. They created decorations by pressing a paste made of 'gofun' (crushed seashell powder), 'nikawa' (animal glue), and 'funori' (seaweed glue) into these molds. They also incorporated distinctly Japanese motifs like chrysanthemums, leaves, and arabesques, allowing the craft to develop in a uniquely Japanese way.

When did Fuji Seigaku start making frames?

We were founded in 1947 in Nezu, Bunkyo Ward, and now continue our craft in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo. The business began when our founder, who inherited a 'sashimono' (cabinetry) workshop, used his 'urushi' (lacquer) skills to create photo frames for the overseas market. Today, our scope has expanded to include frames for oil, watercolor, and Japanese paintings, with the company now in the hands of the third-generation owner, Kazushi Yoshida.

Our workshop is unique because we have a woodworking department on the first floor, while all the ornamentation, finishing, and final mounting happen on the second. With very few companies still making Tokyo frames, Fuji Seigaku is the only one that handles the entire process in-house, from wood processing to the finished product. We work closely with art galleries, dealers, frame shops, and artists, using our experience and techniques to provide fully custom frames, 'gakuso' (art mounting), and frame restoration services.