Kunsthaus Kende

Kunsthaus Kende is delighted to present an absolute masterpiece of contemporary creation for BRAFA 2026: an exceptional Ayaori-gane vase by Takahiro Iede.

Takahiro Iede (Japan, 1962)
Ayaori-gane vase 'Rhythm', Saitama 2019
Shakudo, Shibuichi, silver,
H 23 cm - Ø 27.3 cm

The gracefully curved body widening towards the waved upper rim. The body composed of woven strips of shakudo, shibuichi and silver. Spectacular, large work by Japanese artist Takahiro Iede, crafted with brilliant skill using the so-called Ayaori-gane technique.

“To set myself free, I test the limits of myself and metal.” – the Japanese artist metalsmith Takahiro Iede
Born in Fukui Prefecture, Japan in 1962, the artist and metalsmith Takahiro Iede now lives and works in Saitama. The metal artworks of Takahiro Iede combine traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation. With every hammer stroke, he explores and expands the possibilities of his material. His works take a special status in Japanese art and are perceived as avant-garde, sculptural and transcending all formal limitations imposed by the technical feasibility of traditional metalworking. Takahiro Iede has enriched Japanese metalwork with a deeply impressive technique known as Ayaori-gane ('metal weaving'). 

This technique is characterised by various types of copper alloys with gold and silver, which are woven into patterns and then hammered and soldered together with silver. The braided creations of the Ajiro weaving technique in the bamboo craftsmanship of his home region and the woven tapestries of the Native Americans inspired the artist to develop this very difficult technique. In the Ayaorigane technique, a plate is made by weaving metal strings. In the next step, the fine cavities within the pattern are filled with melted silver. This fills the individual metal strands of the pattern to form a coherent plate, and the resulting workpiece is shaped into threedimensional forms using various metalworking techniques, primarily hammering. In some cases, the artist deliberately refrains from filling the spaces between the strands to leave the woven formation unfinished.

There are no comparable techniques to the Ayaori-gane technique in Japanese art or other cultures that preceded it. For his
outstanding achievement, Takahiro Iede received the highly prestigious Medal with Purple Ribbon for artistic merit in 2016, the awarding of which usually precedes a later designation as a future Living National Treasure.