Tuesday, May 21, 2024

The Types of Koto's Body


Sound Quality
 Koto's cross sections
 Name
Finest
 Kuri-kou
The koto's body is made of single paulownia tree. Its sound is the finest of the koto.
Good
 Uwa-kou
The koto's body is made of two parts. The sound quality is better than Nami-kou.
Normal
 Nami-kou
The body is separated by three different timber: Iso (upper), Kou (side) and Ura (back).

綾杉彫 (Ayasugi carving)
Some of the finest kotos have this carving like the one in the following photo inside the koto's body. This complex pattern amplifies the resonance of the sound and makes it better. Since the finest "kuri-kou" koto cannot be separated, skilled craftsmen take a lot of time to carve it.




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