Obon – handmade Japanese tray in brass
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout
Ships within 1-2 business days
Brass has been used in Japanese craftsmanship since the Heian period (years 794-1185).
Our 'Obon' tray is handmade by Japanese Sakami Kogei who creates the tray using a traditional Japanese craft called 'Hera Shibori'.
It is a method where a brass plate is fixed in a mold and rotated while the plate is pressed against the mold with a rod called a spatula. It takes great craftsmanship and experience to know exactly how to angle the spatula and how much force to apply.
Finally, the tray is given a brushed finish by a traditional matting process called 'Metsuke'.
'Obon' is made to be used and the brushed surface only gets more beautiful with daily use.
'Obon' has a fascinatingly simple and functional beauty and is made for serving and for storage and organization in your home.
Kogei products are made in very limited quantities by small workshops in Japan and may therefore be sold out from time to time. Contact us at info@rune-jakobsen.dk if you would like to know the delivery status of a sold-out product.
The tray comes in two sizes:
- 17 cm in diameter and 2 cm high
- 24 cm in diameter and 2 cm high
Maintenance:
- Wipe with a dry soft cloth after use.
- When the tray is used, the metal will become duller over time due to oxidation. Especially in the areas that are often touched by hands or tools.
- In Japan, this natural patina is appreciated and the unique texture is called 'Atari'.
- A Japanese would never polish his metal things, so leave it alone!
The Sakami Kogei workshop in Tokyo is owned by Mr. Sakami, who has been involved in metalworking for 26 years.
Although he is the founder, Mr. Sakami is not strictly speaking the "first generation".
He was born into a family in Kyoto that had been metal workers for generations.
As Mr. Sakami says:
“My parents, my siblings, my cousins, my relatives, they all do metal work.
There's metalwork everywhere you look - it's an ancient craft."
A large part of the production takes place on a heavy lathe, where round trays and plates are created from metal. The traditional Japanese craft is called 'Hera Shibori'. It is a method where a metal plate is fixed in a mold and rotated while the plate is pressed against the mold with a rod called a spatula. It takes great craftsmanship and experience to know exactly how to angle the spatula and how much force to apply. Finally, the tray is given a brushed finish by a traditional matting process called 'Metsuke'. 
Inspiration: Japanese craftsmanship: the difference between handmade and industrial production · Crafts with origins
Relevant products and collections
Real products, honest pictures
With us, craftsmanship, materials and aesthetics are at the heart of everything we do. Our product images are designed to give you an honest and inspiring impression of what you're getting – without unnecessary staging.
The vast majority of product photos in our webshop are therefore taken by us – whether it's a grinder, a magnetic knife holder, a serving board or one of our textiles. The images of our wooden products always show genuine, handmade products that we photograph before they are packed and sent to their new owners.
To give you a better idea of how the products will look in different homes and kitchens, we sometimes insert these original photos into AI-generated rooms or backgrounds. Only the background is artificial – the product itself is never altered or AI-generated. Every grain, edge, color, and detail you see belongs to the physical product we created.
We also occasionally receive photos from satisfied customers who give us permission to use them in the webshop. These photos provide an honest and inspiring insight into how our products look in real homes and environments.
No artificial product renderings. No misleading visual enhancements. Just real craftsmanship, photographed honestly.
Indicative images when choosing a variant
We are constantly expanding our product gallery. As many of our products come in a variety of sizes and variations, we do not yet have images of all of them. The image shown when you select a product primarily illustrates the selected wood type – not necessarily the specific size or design variation.
Every piece of wood is unique
Wood is a living natural material, and our passion is to create unique products with character. The grain patterns and color play will therefore naturally vary from product to product. Please consider our images as guiding inspiration and an indication of the quality we deliver.
If you have any questions, we're happy to help.
Do you have any questions about design, size, wood type or special requests? Do not hesitate to contact us at info@rune-jakobsen.dk so that we can guide you to the right choice before you order.
Our customer service is not a call center or an AI chatbot.
It's Kari or Torben.
When you write to us, you will receive a personal response from us — with in-depth knowledge of the products and a genuine interest in helping you make the right choices.
We have collected the most common questions in our FAQ and on the product pages. If you can't find the answer there, or if you want a product in a special size, you are always welcome to write or call us.
If we cannot respond immediately, you will hear from us within a few hours on all weekdays.
In brief:
- Fixed prices all year round — no sales, no Black Friday, no discount codes. Buy 3 or more tea towels and get 10% off.
- Payment by MasterCard, VISA, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, MobilePay and local payment methods. In-stock items are charged on dispatch; Woodworks orders are charged when production starts.
- 30-day right of withdrawal on all products — including made-to-order Woodworks products.
- 2-year right of complaint for manufacturing and material defects under the Danish Sale of Goods Act.
- Seller: Rune-Jakobsen Design ApS, Tiendemarken 14 A, Gudum, 9280 Storvorde, Denmark. CVR 46593359.
In-stock items are dispatched within 1-2 working days. Handmade products are made to order — the current lead time is shown on the product page.
We ship with Postnord/DPD, GLS, DHL or UPS, and you choose the carrier and service level yourself at checkout. Shipping is calculated by weight, dimensions and delivery address — we add no margin to shipping.
Starting prices (the final price is calculated at checkout):
- Denmark: From 39 DKK to a parcel shop / 59 DKK to a private address. Free shipping on orders over 2,500 DKK.
- Sweden: From 135 SEK. Free shipping on orders over 2,500 SEK.
- EU countries: From 9 EUR.
- Norway: From 159 NOK. Free shipping on orders over 4,000 NOK.
- United Kingdom: DDP from 14 GBP.
- Switzerland / Liechtenstein: DDP from 19 CHF.
- USA: DDP from 35 USD.
- Canada: From 49 CAD.
- Australia: From 85 AUD.
- New Zealand: From 89 NZD.
- Rest of the world: From 35 USD.
Read the full shipping policy · Customs, VAT and taxes by country
You have a 30-day right of withdrawal on all products — including made-to-order Woodworks products. Notify us at info@rune-jakobsen.dk within 30 days of receipt; you then have 14 days to return the item unused and undamaged.
You pay the cost of the return shipment yourself, unless it is a complaint. Danish customers can order a return label via Shipmondo. Once we have received the item, we refund the full purchase price.
Return address: Rune-Jakobsen Design ApS, Att.: Kari Rune-Jakobsen, Tiendemarken 14 A, Gudum, 9280 Storvorde, Denmark.
Complaints: Under the Sale of Goods Act you have a 2-year right of complaint for manufacturing and material defects. For a justified complaint we cover the cost of the return shipment.
All orders are shipped from our workshop and warehouse in Denmark. For customers in the EU, Norway, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, VAT is included in the price at checkout.
- EU: Local VAT is included — no customs duties, no fees.
- Norway: Norwegian VAT is paid in the webshop (VOEC 3053342). Below 3,000 NOK: no customs duty, the order is shipped DAP. Above 3,000 NOK: any customs duty is calculated and paid in the webshop, the order is shipped DDP. No extra charges on delivery.
- United Kingdom, Switzerland/Liechtenstein and USA: All orders are shipped DDP — VAT and any customs duties are paid at checkout. The price you see is the final price.
- Australia: Shipped DAP. Under 1,000 AUD: no duties or GST. Over 1,000 AUD: duties and GST are collected by the carrier before delivery.
- Canada: Shipped DAP. GST/HST and any handling fee are collected on import; goods of EU origin are duty-free under CETA.
- Other countries: Shipped DAP — local duties and fees are collected by the carrier on arrival.
Choose options
Kogei – Japanese craftsmanship
.%0A%20Our%20'Obon'%20tray%20is%20handmade%20by%20Japanese%20Sakami%20Kogei%20who%20creates%20the%20tray%20using%20a%20traditional%20Japanese%20craft%20...){kind=link}
Tessitura Toscana Telerie – Italian home textiles from Florence
Libeco – Belgian linen since 1858
Klässbols – Swedish linen mill since 1920
Læsø wool throw – Danish wool from Læsø Garnspinderi
Value for money
Pentole Agnelli Cookware
Cutting, chopping and serving boards
Japanese kitchen knives
Magnetic knife holders
Knife blocks
Alexander Handcrafted Mills
Kagami Crystal
Kogei – Japanese craftsmanship
Les Céramiques de Lussan
Shelves and hooks