Dark lacquer natsume with gold maki-e flowing water in the kimigayo motif — a tea caddy for collectors drawn to deep-blue lacquerware, gold stream maki-e, and signed Japanese tea caddies with an understated yet formally significant decorative program.
[ DETAILS ] • Name: 漆器蒔絵君が代棗 (Shikki Maki-e Kimigayo Natsume) • Decoration: Deep indigo-black lacquer ground; gold maki-e flowing water stream; takamaki-e pebble accents; calligraphy "君が代" on lid • Box: Signed artist's box (共箱) • Condition: Good; lacquer surface lustrous; gold lines clear • SKU: 260318_a_2523
[ CULTURAL CONTEXT ] The kimigayo motif — flowing water over pebbles, the subject of Japan's national poem — carries cultural resonance that extends beyond decoration. It is a compositional language that speaks of endurance, continuity, the wearing of stone into moss, the permanence of what moves. In lacquerwork, the gold stream rendered against near-black grounds creates a visual register of maximum contrast and minimum gesture: the gold does only what it must, and nothing more.
[ DEEP DIVE ] The calligraphy of 君が代 on the lid transforms the natsume from a carrier of motif into a carrier of text — the tea caddy becomes an object that can be read as well as seen. The deep indigo-black of the lacquer ground (深藍漆) results from layering transparent lacquer over a pigmented base, the depth achieved through successive polishing rather than opacity. Takamaki-e (raised gold lacquer) for the pebble forms creates tactile variation — the fingertips that lift the lid encounter a surface that is not uniform. This is not incidental. In the tea ceremony, every sensation is a considered communication.
🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ] • Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days • Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking) • Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials
