Sukashibori


Sukashibori is the Japanese term for openwork or pierced work, using various techniques in metalworking and other media, in which the foreground design is left intact, while background areas are cut away and removed. The resulting piece becomes see-through and hence the name.
Traditional artisans worked on piece of cast metal such as bronze as medium. In traditional metalworking, the carving tools they used were the piercing burin and scroll saw.
The type where the foreground pattern is preserved and the background removed is called ji-sukashi, and the reverse is called moyō-sukashi.
In Buddhist art, or lotus motif is often used The result is an Arabesque-like or lacework-like design. They are featured in the depiction of the kōhai or "rear glow" as well as the tiara-like headpieces crowning their heads. Other prominent uses are in ritual objects such as keman, , and Koro. Examples of tsuba of the Japanese sword often use sukashibori work.
The word is also applied when used for other material, such a wood; for example, the transom may be done in sukashibori'' work.