Cranes over Mount Fuji

I have been working with the same artisan who brought to life the previous “Walnut Brush Holder” and I am very proud to present this Limited Edition version, showcasing a Japanese illustration with the rising sun and cranes flying over Mount Fuji.

I will give you as much information as I can about this piece and I hope that you love its functionality and what it represents.

https://youtu.be/5NXWB1vz1q0

The configuration

I will start with the dimensions and the configuration.

The measurements of this brush holder are 28,4 cm x 4 cm x 8 cm high. 

The Brush Holder currently in the permanent collection is 20cm long. This special edition is 28.4 cm long.

It does not take too much space since it’s only 4 cm wide so it can stand nicely in the background and leave you lots of free workspace on your desk or vanity. 

I love the aesthetics of linear displays, seeing the brushes aligned is very pleasing, originally I wanted this brush holder to be 40 cm long but it wasn’t realistic. Each cm added to the piece is exponentially expensive and getting to 28.4 cm was already a huge jump and the longest we could go.

That is mainly due to the selection of the pieces of wood, the sourcing of this sustainable material is done with much care and attention to the beauty of its grain. There is a lot of work to account per piece, from the beginning to its completion.

The direction of the polishing is determined according to its grain and it is hand-finished to enhance its texture.

The artisan aims to move our hearts through his craftsmanship. I see his joy as he is able to share his passion for wood working with us, passionate Fude people, it connects us and makes this piece so much more than a brush holder. It’s how I feel, but every single one of us is going to respond to this in a different manner and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The surface of the wood is coated twice yet it maintains a natural look, it makes it more resistant to stains. For this design, the inside separators are coated with a black finish, this gives a modern look and makes for a beautiful contrast.

The separators do not slide but the compartments are wider and can hold brushes with handles up to 25mm diameter. There are 5 compartments in total, each one measures 2,5 x 5 cm.  

Like the previous Brush Holder, the base of the interior is lined with a layer of super-soft ultrasuede to protect your brush handles from scratches.

In the last section of this post I will show you the amount of brushes that can fit inside so you have a better idea of the layout.

The illustration

Since we were doing a Limited Edition I really wanted to add an illustration for this Holiday version. Part of me didn’t want to do anything on the wood as it is truly beautiful as it is, but it was the opportunity to try and see how it would turn out. This illustration, although laser engraved, takes an extremely long time to engrave so we could only envision doing it on a Limited Edition release.  
It took a lot of tuning and work but we were so happily surprised with how it turned out.

I love cranes. I am fascinated by these birds.

Cranes are the symbol of love, happiness, fidelity and longevity, it’s not the reason why I love them so much, but that certainly contributes and makes them even more special.

The sun is not drawn as a perfect circle but as an enso stroke type of style. Enso circles are hand-drawn to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create. I am sure you already saw those circles on Japanese illustrations.

I wanted this brush holder to illustrate Japan, happiness, love, art and creativity. I hope it resonates with you and I sincerely hope you’ll love it!

In action

In this picture, the holder is displaying all the Sonia G brushes with the thicker handles from the original collection.

This is how both Brush Holders look with the same brushes in each. There is more space in the Brush Holder with the sliding separators, for example in the front row on the right there is more space for eye brushes. It just gives you an idea of how many brushes can be stored in each.

Below, it is displaying all the brushes from the PRO and the SKY series, with also the Designer Pro and the Smooth Buffer.

On the next picture, same brushes on the left and the right. There is more place for more brushes in both brush holders but there will be more capacity inside the permanent brush holder.

With pens… for the office… 🙂

And of course, since the compartments are wider than the current brush holder, you can also store the brushes with much thicker handles.

It is possible to store two thick handle brushes in the same compartment…

…or do a mix. Here it is displaying the Kiwami set from Chikuhodo.

Availability

If you are interested in the Cranes over Mount Fuji brush holder, it will be available starting on the 9th of December 2020. 10am PT, it will cost $190 per piece.

This is a Limited Edition release. Due to the cost, time and effort, we could only consider this version for a special release so we are not planning on bringing it back.

It comes in a similar box as the other version but of course, the size of the box has been custom made for the brush holder.

The permanent brush holder is currently sold out. It’s in production at the moment and it’s planned to be back in February 2021.