Real-time Roxby

When I was researching designer toys for a story, I came across these guys. 35-year-old craftsman Takeji Nakagawa of Nagano, Japan, makes these futuristic robots, spaceships and spacemen out of maple, walnut, cherry and teak. His Take-g Toys also makes block sets and smaller zoo animals made of ash, teak and keyaki (an elm-related Japanese tree.) Since the larger “sculptures” are sold at gallery exhibits, Nakagawa stresses that they aren’t to be played with. Just like any designer toy, its goal is to sit in your home, at your desk in a display case, and inspire you with a dose of nostalgia and modern design.

The intricate marquetry-type work is called yosegi-mokuzougan (joined wooden block construction.) The beautiful patterns in colour, grain and texture is created in the same way as parquet inlaying which my great-grandfather did with coffee table surfaces. If only he had followed Nakagawa’s lead. A 15-piece children’s blocks set costs 21,000 yen ($211 Canadian.) A set of ten small animals costs 42,000 yen ($422.) The spectacular large pieces like Huujin and Raijin, Wind Person (7 Machine) and Thunder Person (8 Machine,) stand nearly 26 inches and 16 inches respectively and can fetch up to $6000.

It’s not often that you find handmade crafts that make you smile, pull you out of your daily grind. So, today I’m starting the Roxby Relief fund. It’ll be a lot easier to save up for Wind and Thunder Persons or the smooth and spacey 9 Machine (above) than spend the tuition for carpentry school and take all those ugly math courses. Donations are welcome. In yen, please.

Labels: design, fun, toys