Box of maple wood with cracked ice design finished in wiped urushi.

Wood joinery

In wood joinery (sashimono), wood boards are cut into panels with care to how the grain patterns will fit together in the final piece. The wooden panels are then cut or carved to create interlocking joints. These joints, which are the key feature of wood joinery, make it possible to connect boards at right angles to produce boxes and other articles. Wood joinery is assembled without the use of nails or any other metal hardware.