About

Welcome to the official homepage and online shopping store of metal hammering artist Yuya Kobayashi.

Here, you will find my artworks and ironware made by Japanese traditional metal hammering and engraving techniques. I've been working at Inagi-shi, Tokyo, Japan since 2005 and now relocated to Kumagaya-shi, Saitama, Japan from 2023.

The core technique of my works is the inimitable hammering technique "Iron Shibori". "Shibori" is Japanese ancient technique for making armors, adornments, and everyday items like pots. In the Meiji period, Sobi Yamada reached the very top of iron hammering. However, unfortunately, his technique was completely lost. After I met his works when I was a grad student, I had been tried reviving his technique almost like a researcher for a long time. I learned using "Shibori" technique for iron to revive Sobi's technique by my own. However, I thought my "Iron Shibori" technique will be gone again if it's not making contributions to society. That is why I started making and selling my ironware not only artworks.

In "Shibori" technique, an annealed metal plate will be formed using the hammer and backing steel called "Ategane". The worked metal plate gets harder by work hardening and needs to do the annealing process again for further work. By the repetition of those processes, a metal plate becomes a piece of art. Unlike forging and casting or machine-made techniques (like spinning, press working, forging machine), "Shibori" requires much time and effort, but the finished piece is tough, lightweight and its thickness is quite even. Besides, the finished piece can be much more complicated and unique than any piece with machine-made or other handmade techniques.

However, using "Shibori" technique for iron is very difficult and it needs more than twice the time and effort to use for normal soft copper, brass, and silver. For this reason, ”Iron Shibori” is a very rare technique in the world.

Metal Hammering Artist
Yuya Kobayashi
鍛金家　小林 有矢

Location: Kumagaya-shi, Saitama, Japan
Tel: +81-(0)50-5242-1839
Email: contact@yuyakobayashi.com

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or inquiries using Contact form.

Other online shopping sites
Creema (Only in Japan): creema.jp/c/yuyakobayashi
iichi (Only in Japan / Inactive): iichi.com/shop/yuyakobayashi
Etsy: etsy.com/shop/YuyaKobayashi

YouTube
youtube.com/@Yuya_Kobayashi