Matsunaga Mikizo Unkin Maki-e Black Lacquer O-Natsume, Signed Box

A large tea caddy (o-natsume) in ikkantori lacquer (ikkan-nuri), attributed to Matsunaga Mikizo. The unkin — cloud brocade — motif unites spring cherry blossoms and autumn maple leaves in gold maki-e against a deep black ground. A design that speaks of seasons held simultaneously, the classical Japanese aesthetic of juxtaposed transience.

📐 [ BASIC DETAILS ]
• Artist: Matsunaga Mikizo (松永三喜三)
• Dimensions: H approx. 5.8 cm × D approx. 8.4 cm
• Construction: Ikkan-nuri (paper-core lacquer, 一閑塗)
• Decoration: Gold maki-e unkin motif (cherry blossom and maple)
• Condition: Good. Minor character in maki-e adds to its authorship.
• Provenance: Original signed tomobako (storage box) in clean condition
• SKU: 260228_a_2164

🏛️ [ CULTURAL INSIGHT ]
Ikkan-nuri takes its name from Hirose Ikkwan, a Chinese craftsman who brought paper-core lacquerware technique to Japan in the early Edo period. Paper layers wrapped over a wood core create an object of unusual lightness — a quality prized in the tea room, where every utensil is lifted and turned in the hands. The unkin motif — clouds brocading spring and autumn into one image — appears frequently in court textiles and lacquerware as a symbol of completeness: time folded rather than measured.

🔍 [ DEEP-DIVE ]
The o-natsume is the large-format natsume, used for storing thin tea (usucha) or displayed as a formal utensil in thicker tea (koicha) presentations. Its proportions — wider than tall, with a flush-fitting lid — distinguish it from smaller natsume forms. Matsunaga Mikizo's work shows confident brushwork in the maki-e, the slight variation in line weight giving the cherry petals and maple clusters a handmade vitality that mechanical reproduction cannot approximate. The tomobako inscription confirms design name and authorship, a provenance marker of significance for tea practitioners.

🌸 [ 日本語解説 ]
松永三喜三作の一閑塗黒大棗。雲錦蒔絵意匠——桜と紅葉を同時に描く古典的な文様が、金蒔絵で全体に施されています。一閑塗特有の軽さが、手に取った瞬間に伝わります。蒔絵にやや素朴な線の揺れがありますが、それこそが手仕事の証。共箱は綺麗な状態で、箱書きにより作者と意匠名が確認できます。高さ約5.8cm、径約8.4cm。

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