{"product_id":"chahei-issai-wajima-lacquer-genji-guruma-maki-e-jikiro-signed-box","title":"Chahei Issai Wajima Lacquer Genji-guruma Maki-e Jikiro, Signed Box","description":"A lidded confection container (jikiro \/ 喰籠) in Wajima-nuri lacquer by Chahei Issai (茶平一斎), decorated across its entire surface with ultra-fine gold line maki-e depicting waves, clouds, and Genji-guruma — the ox-cart wheels of Heian court imagery. The work commands attention through accumulation: line upon line, motif layered within motif, the whole surface animated without becoming restless.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e📐 [ BASIC DETAILS ]\u003cbr\u003e• Artist: Chahei Issai (茶平一斎)\u003cbr\u003e• Origin: Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan\u003cbr\u003e• Dimensions: H 11.9 cm × W 20.2 cm\u003cbr\u003e• Construction: Wood core with Wajima urushi lacquer\u003cbr\u003e• Decoration: Gold maki-e — Genji-guruma, waves (haito), and clouds, full-surface coverage\u003cbr\u003e• Condition: Excellent. Lacquer surface bright and intact.\u003cbr\u003e• Provenance: Original signed tomobako with clear inscription\u003cbr\u003e• SKU: 260228_a_2165\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🏛️ [ CULTURAL INSIGHT ]\u003cbr\u003eGenji-guruma — the rolling ox-cart wheel, half-submerged in a stream — is one of the most recognizable motifs in Japanese decorative art, tracing its authorship to the world of The Tale of Genji. The wheel at rest in moving water: a meditation on impermanence, on the Heian court's awareness of transience beneath its formality. Here, Chahei Issai places the wheels within a field of waves and clouds, each element rendered in the same disciplined gold line, collapsing the hierarchy of motifs into a continuous, breathing surface. Wajima lacquerware carries its own cultural weight — the town's tradition of layered urushi application, with intermediate polishing stages, produces a depth of finish that distinguishes it from lacquerwork produced elsewhere in Japan.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔍 [ DEEP-DIVE ]\u003cbr\u003eThe jikiro (喰籠, also written 食籠) is a lidded vessel used in formal tea gatherings to present wagashi (Japanese sweets) to guests. Its proportions — substantial height relative to width — allow for elegant presentation of multiple sweets arranged within. Chahei Issai's maki-e technique here deploys what appears to be togidashi or ke-nuri line work: extremely fine gold lines applied with the tip of a maki-e brush, then built up in parallel passages to create the wave patterns. The Genji-guruma wheels are drawn with circular precision, their spokes radiating cleanly. The total surface area covered is considerable — both lid and body, including the vertical sides — making this a technically demanding commission at any period. The tomobako inscription names the motif and the artist, providing clear provenance for the tea collector.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🌸 [ 日本語解説 ]\u003cbr\u003e輪島塗師・茶平一斎作の源氏車蒔絵喰籠。黒漆地に、極細金線で波濤・雲・源氏車を蓋・胴全面に描き尽くした圧倒的な仕事です。源氏車は平安王朝の世界観を象徴する古典文様であり、水に沈む車輪が無常観を静かに語ります。輪島塗の堅牢な下地と本漆仕上げが、金蒔絵の線を鮮明に保っています。高さ11.9cm、幅20.2cm。共箱に明確な箱書きあり。茶事の菓子器として、また飾り物として、申し分のない格を持つ一点です。\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ SHIPPING \u0026amp; PACKAGING ]\u003cbr\u003e• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days\u003cbr\u003e• Carrier: Japan Post EMS \/ UPS (with tracking)\u003cbr\u003e• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials","brand":"The Modern Zen Archive","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":61626878624114,"sku":"260228_a_2165","price":1799.0,"currency_code":"AED","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/5680\/3698\/files\/m41653693175_5.jpg?v=1772455171","url":"https:\/\/checkout.themodernzenarchive.com\/products\/chahei-issai-wajima-lacquer-genji-guruma-maki-e-jikiro-signed-box","provider":"The Modern Zen Archive","version":"1.0","type":"link"}