Michael Jury wins Best in Show award at Fine Furnishings

Michael Jury, principal designer and craftsman at M. Jury Woodworks, won Best in Show (Furniture Design) for his cherry Asa-no-ha sideboard at the 27^th annual Fine Furnishings Show, held Nov. 4-6 in Providence, R.I.

Jury builds furniture inspired by Shaker, Japanese and Danish designs and philosophies at his shop in Springfield, Va.

“The winning sideboard is built from solid cherry and inspired by Shaker and Japanese designs,” Jury said in a statement. “The upper case is constructed with hand-cut dovetail joinery which is visible from the sides as evidence of heirloom construction and skilled craftsmanship. The base features gracefully tapered legs which is a classic Shaker design element.

“The highlight of the piece is the two sliding door panels which feature the asa-no-ha kumiko design. This traditional Japanese lattice pattern represents a hemp leaf which symbolizes health, resilience and prosperity in traditional Japanese culture. The kumiko is constructed by cutting angles on individual pieces of basswood with a chisel to create the geometric pattern. The kumiko is backed with black momigami paper to highlight the form. The doors slide in front of three drawers made of solid maple sides, back and bottom and constructed with hand-cut dovetail joinery. The recessed ebonized pulls allow the doors to slide in front of the drawers. The piece is finished with hand-rubbed oil varnish and wax.”

See more of Jury’s work at www.mjurywoodworks.com.