The act of cleansing is an everyday affair, but for the Japanese, baths are a ritual of relaxation all by themselves.  Therefore, using the same materials and techniques for crafting Buddhist temples and statues, the Hinoki and Urushi bathtubs or “furo” in Japanese have been created as aesthetic equivalents to enhance the daily respite.

The Hinoki furo is cut from Cypress material, and the high-grade wood is supposedly self-disinfectant, humidity-proof and repels insects.  The fragrance relaxes the bather and keeps the tub odorless.

Designer Ryu Kosaka's chief approach was to maintain the soft texture of the wood, while the master craftsman strived to preserve the natural grain pattern alongside the steel components. This has resulted in an organic–looking furo.

For the Urushi furo, the traditional Japanese lacquer is used to prepare the base, using a technique known as ‘dry lacquer’, to painstakingly create a standalone contemporary piece.

Decorative lacquer is a clever gloss for designer Yukio Hashimoto, who envisions the furo as a symbol of movable Japanese identity. Lacquer is also bacteria-resistant and able to withstand high temperatures.

For the Hinoki furo, a basin in three different sizes is available: the natural bend shape basin, the long shape as well as the square basin. The Urushi furo comes with a typical Japanese shape basin with black to pearl lacquer coloring.

www.furo.co.jp

via Trendir