Japanese Joinery Stool

The stool in the craft shop window is held together entirely with joinery, no screws, no glue, just interlocking wood pieces that slot into each other with enough precision that the joints are nearly invisible. Light-colored wood, maybe ash or maple, has grain running vertically on the legs and horizontally on the seat in a way that looks deliberate rather than random. A slight concave curve in the seat, visible from the side, is carved out so it matches the shape of sitting without being obviously ergonomic. The shop owner told me it was made by a furniture student and priced at $120, which feels like a deal for something that took 40 hours of hand work. Craft at this level communicates patience unlike manufactured furniture, and I find myself drawn to objects where you can see the time that went into them. Joinery serves as both structure and decoration, doing 2 jobs without compromising either one. Heavier than it looks, the stool surprises you when you pick it up and then reassures you when you sit on it.