Firefly Maki-e Incense Container by Nakabayashi Seizan - Fuki-urushi Lacquer Kogo with Signed Box

Experience Authentic Japanese Tea Culture with this Firefly Maki-e Incense Container. This Japanese Kogo Incense Box serves as a Nakabayashi Seizan Lacquerware and Fuki-urushi Wiped Lacquer masterpiece, featuring Gold Maki-e Firefly Design and Summer Tea Ceremony aesthetics—a must-have for any Art Collector seeking Wabi Sabi Tea Accessories and Authentic Japan Art.

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🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]

• Artist: Nakabayashi Seizan (中林星山)
• Technique: Fuki-urushi (wiped lacquer) with gold maki-e
• Era: Contemporary (Heisei–Reiwa period)
• Origin: Japan
• Dimensions: 4.5 cm × 4.5 cm × Height 3.5 cm (1.8" × 1.8" × 1.4")
• Box: Signed tomobako (共箱)
• Condition: Excellent - No scratches or signs of use

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🔹 [ CULTURAL & ARTISTIC INSIGHT ]

The incense container (kogo) holds a special place in the Japanese tea ceremony, used to carry the incense (kō) that perfumes the charcoal fire. This exquisite piece by Nakabayashi Seizan transforms the humble kogo into a miniature canvas of Japanese summer poetry.

The fuki-urushi technique creates a warm, translucent finish that allows the natural wood grain to glow beneath, while the gold maki-e fireflies (hotaru) dance among autumn grasses. In Japanese culture, fireflies symbolize fleeting beauty and the bittersweet nature of summer—their gentle glow appearing only briefly before fading into darkness.

*"Fireflies scatter their cold light across the evening field—summer's final breath."*

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🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ]

**The Fuki-urushi Tradition**: Fuki-urushi, or "wiped lacquer," is a technique where raw urushi lacquer is applied to wood and then partially wiped away, leaving a thin, luminous coat that reveals the natural grain beneath. This creates warmth impossible to achieve with thick lacquer coatings.

**Maki-e Artistry**: The gold maki-e decoration depicts hotaru (fireflies) hovering above susuki (pampas grass). The artist uses both togidashi (polished-out) and takamaki-e (raised) techniques to create depth—the glowing abdomens of the fireflies shimmer with gold powder while the grasses sway in delicate gold lines.

**Seasonal Significance**: This kogo is designed for furo (風炉) use—the portable brazier season from May to October. The firefly motif makes it particularly appropriate for the height of summer, evoking the nostalgic Japanese scene of hotaru-gari (firefly viewing).

**Collector Value**: Nakabayashi Seizan is recognized for combining traditional lacquer techniques with poetic imagery. Works bearing his signature command respect among tea practitioners and lacquerware collectors alike.

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🔹 [ 日本語解説 ]

【基本情報】
• 作家：中林星山
• 技法：拭き漆・金蒔絵
• 時代：現代（平成〜令和）
• 産地：日本
• 寸法：4.5cm × 4.5cm × 高さ3.5cm
• 付属：共箱
• 状態：美品（キズや使用感なし）

【解説】
中林星山による風炉用香合。拭き漆の温かみある仕上げに、金蒔絵で蛍と秋草の意匠を施した逸品です。

拭き漆は生漆を木地に塗り込み、拭き取ることで木目を活かしながら深みのある艶を出す技法。この香合では、その透明感のある漆の下から木目が浮かび上がり、その上を金蒔絵の蛍が舞います。

蛍は日本の夏の風物詩であり、その儚い光は「もののあはれ」を象徴します。夏の茶事にふさわしい季節感溢れる作品です。

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🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ]
• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days
• Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking)
• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials

*A firefly's glow captured in gold—summer's memory preserved in lacquer and light.*