Hina maki-e art on a Japanese natsume by Kitamura Kishun. This lacquer tea caddy carries the Hina festival motif in gold maki-e decor — a gold lacquer vessel where the Emperor and Empress stand in seasonal stillness. A maki-e natsume form shaped as chu-natsume caddy, sealed in urushi lacquerware. Black lacquer vessel for spring tea ceremony, where seasonal craft tea tradition meets Hinamatsuri ware.
🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ] • Artist: Kitamura Kishun (北村葵春) • Dimensions: H 7.0 cm × Ø 6.7 cm • Weight: Approx. 51 g • Condition: Good condition with minor age-related wear • Includes: Tomobako (artist-signed wooden box) • SKU: 260227_a_2112
🔹 [ CULTURAL INSIGHT ] Hinamatsuri falls on March 3rd — the Doll Festival, or Girls' Day. Families display tiered platforms of ornamental dolls representing the Imperial court. The Emperor and Empress pair (内裏雛) sit at the summit. When this imagery appears on a tea caddy, it transforms the vessel into a seasonal marker — a piece used in the weeks surrounding the festival, then stored until the following year.
Kitamura Kishun renders the hina pair in gold maki-e with a restrained hand. The figures carry ceremonial weight without excess detail. This is maki-e that trusts the viewer to recognize what is shown.
🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE: HINAMATSURI & TEA CULTURE ] The connection between Hinamatsuri and chanoyu runs deep. Tea gatherings held near March 3rd traditionally feature seasonal motifs — plum blossoms, shells, and hina dolls. A natsume bearing the hina motif announces the host's awareness of the calendar, a form of hospitality expressed through objects rather than words.
The chu-natsume form — slightly larger than standard natsume — offers a generous surface for maki-e composition. Kishun uses this canvas to place the Imperial pair with spatial clarity, allowing the black lacquer ground to breathe around the gold figures. The negative space is as deliberate as the imagery.
🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ] • Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days • Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking) • Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials
