To carbonize wood in a superficial way in order to protect it is a Japanese ancient technique called Shou Sugi Ban, which means “burned cedar boards”.

This technique has been used in Japan for many years, until the moment in which the modern conservation techniques of wood have eliminated this traditional method.

As often happens, however, Architects tend to rediscover ancient techniques which are considered to have more respect against the environment, and this is why the Shou Sugi Ban technique is obtaining new estimators and is being considered also outside the Japanese lines.

In origin, Japanese craftsmen were looking for a method which allowed them to preserve wood through time, by giving it at the same time an artistic and unique finishing. Due to the aging process that wood passes through when subjected to salt water while flowing, the Japanese wood has been appreciated for its unique aspect and its long last. However, this natural process of aging was very long to obtain, while the demand for the treated wood was in a continuous ascent. For these reasons, the Japanese craftsmen gave life to another technique in which fire became an essential element. As a matter of fact, in the Shou Sugi Ban technique fire does not damage but preserves wood (or, better, it preserves wood by damaging it), by giving it at the same time that kind of finishing that all Japanese craftsmen were looking for.

The carbonization practice of Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica), that is commonly called in the US “Japanese Cedar”, has become well-known in Japan from the XVIth Century. During the last 50-100 years, this practice has fallen into disgrace in Japan due to the employment of modern plastic and concrete coverages, or other forms of finishing.

In the early XIVth Century, the Shou Sugi Ban technique has been rediscovered, firstly in Japan, and then rapidly gaining the attention of Architects and Designers from Europe and North America, and starting to show its abilities inside private houses and tailor-made buildings.

During the last years, its employment has really blown up for the same reasons for which it was already famous in Japan hundreds years ago; however, the costs, the research of a coloration’s continuity, the industrialization and the developed sensitiveness of Architects towards the environment have obtained the result of making Shou Sugi Ban an ancient technique.

In origin the practice of carbonizing the surface of wooden boards required too much work and, furthermore, it was considered an authentic technique of zen meditation, for how it was carried on.

Nowadays we can use faster instruments which allow us to obtain the same aesthetic result but respecting the traditional finishing thanks to a new technology created and developed from the CRS Molteni Vernici, called “Organic Carbonized™ Wood”.

A real organic, materic and multidimensional material to the sight and the touch, with an ancient taste able to rediscover the modern souls guided from the wise art of craftsmen and technologies which have always been the success of Brianza, the real core business of innovative ideas and projects.

A finishing with a unique texture able to transform every kind of surface into a natural carbonized wooden surface.

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Manual abilities of craftsmen which have made the history of Brianza great and which, like a real piece of art, come back in order to give emotions, just like when our fathers and our grandfathers gave us emotions when with just a few tools were able to create real workpieces.

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