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寄せ木細工 (よせぎざいく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
wooden mosaic work ; marquetry ; parquetry
A traditional Japanese craft where small pieces of different colored woods are assembled into intricate patterns, often used for boxes, furniture, and decorative items.
ぎ
細工ざいく
で
飾かざ
ら
れ
て
いる
。
This small box is decorated with beautiful marquetry.
Written forms 寄よ せ 木ぎ 細ざい 工く
Standard kanji spelling; the 寄せ form is more common in modern usage.
寄よせ 木ぎ 細ざい 工く
Alternate spelling without okurigana; also seen but less common.
Kanji 寄 draw near, stop in, bring near 工 craft, construction, katakana e radical (no. 48) Similar words 木もく 象ぞう 嵌がん 木象嵌 refers specifically to wood inlay, where pieces are set into a carved-out surface, while 寄せ木細工 involves assembling pieces into a pattern, often as a surface veneer.
Etymology Compound of 寄せ木 (yosegi, 'pieces of wood put together') and 細工 (saiku, 'craftwork'). The term describes the technique of creating patterns by combining small wood pieces of different colors and grains.
