Miyata Sokei Tombo Maki-e Natsume — Echizen Master, Spherical Vermillion with Gold Dragonfly, Signed Box

The form itself is a statement. Miyata Sokei, an Echizen maki-e master, has given this natsume a nearly perfect sphere — a body so round that the seam between lid and base marks the equator. Echizen lacquerware, from Fukui Prefecture, carries a regional aesthetic distinct from the better-known Wajima and Kyoto schools: direct in form, confident in color, unhesitating in surface.

🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]
The spherical natsume form is less common than the standard rounded-cylinder shape, and in the tea room its distinctness draws the eye. Sokei's choice to place the motif asymmetrically on this surface — one side carrying the design, the rest open red — reflects an understanding of how the piece will be held and turned. Signed box included. Diameter 6.7 cm, height 7 cm. Minor surface scratches consistent with age; overall condition good.
• SKU: 260413_a_2737
• Includes: Signed wooden storage box (tomobako)

🔹 [ CULTURAL & ARTISTIC INSIGHT ]
The exterior is vermillion — hon-shunuri, a tone that in lacquer carries more warmth and depth than paint can approximate. Against this ground, a gold dragonfly alights on a stem, accompanied by a leaf rendered in the same delicate gilt line. The dragonfly (tombo) has been a symbol of victory and forward motion in Japan since the Nara period; it does not fly backward, and so it has been carried into samurai culture, seasonal poetry, and now into the tea room as a quiet assertion of presence.

🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ]
The exterior is vermillion — hon-shunuri, a tone that in lacquer carries more warmth and depth than paint can approximate. Against this ground, a gold dragonfly alights on a stem, accompanied by a leaf rendered in the same delicate gilt line. The dragonfly (tombo) has been a symbol of victory and forward motion in Japan since the Nara period; it does not fly backward, and so it has been carried into samurai culture, seasonal poetry, and now into the tea room as a quiet assertion of presence.

🔹 [ 日本語解説 ]

【越前蒔絵師 宮田宗景作 棗 共箱】

越前蒔絵師宮田宗景作。朱塗りの丸棗に金蒔絵のトンボ文様。球体に近い独特のフォルムが目を引く。共箱付。若干の擦れあるが全体的に良好。越前蒔絵の伝統技法

The Modern Zen Archiveが厳選した茶道具コレクションの一品です。

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