Nakamura Soetsu Kurogaki Wood Persimmon Maki-e Kogō — Yamanaka Lacquer

A rare and refined lacquer kogō by Nakamura Sōetsu, crafted in the distinguished Yamanaka lacquer tradition from kurogaki — black persimmon wood, one of Japan's most prized and scarce natural materials. The exterior carries persimmon fruit and leaf maki-e, a design that mirrors the very material beneath: the decorated surface and the structural wood share the same botanical origin. Natural kurogaki grain is visible through the finish, creating a contemplative interplay between material honesty and artistic layering that is the hallmark of the finest Yamanaka work. Comes with signed box and shared cloth (shifuku).

An outstanding choice for collectors of Yamanaka lacquer, kurogaki wood objects, signed Japanese tea ceremony utensils, or seasonal autumn kogō with documented artist attribution.

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🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]
• Dimensions: Height 2 cm, Width 5.3 cm, Weight 16 g
• Condition: Excellent; no cracks or chips noted
• Includes: Signed wooden storage box and shared cloth (shifuku)
🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]
• Artist: Nakamura Sōetsu, Yamanaka lacquer school
• SKU: 260402_a_2622

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[ Cultural & Artistic Insight ]
The persimmon holds a layered place in Japanese aesthetics. As a seasonal motif, the kaki fruit signals late autumn — the moment after the leaves have fallen but before the cold has fully arrived, when the bright orange of persimmons hanging bare on branches becomes one of the most iconic images of the Japanese countryside. In the tea room, a persimmon-motif kogō at this moment in the calendar is a gesture of precise seasonal literacy. But kurogaki — the rare black-grained variety of persimmon wood — adds another register: this is not merely a representation of the persimmon, but an object made from persimmon, decorated with persimmon. The conceptual loop is closed.

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[ Deep-Dive Commentary ]
Kurogaki (Diospyros kuro) is an exceptionally dense, slow-growing variety of persimmon that develops dramatic black streaking through its heartwood due to high tannin polymerization. It has been used in Japanese craft for centuries — in tea ceremony utensils, calligraphy boxes, and formal furniture — but its scarcity means that pieces made from kurogaki occupy a premium tier within the broader lacquerware canon. The wood must be carefully dried over years before it can be worked; any acceleration of the process risks cracking along the grain.

Yamanaka, a lacquer-producing town in Ishikawa Prefecture, developed its distinct identity through precision wood-turning and a tradition of applying lacquer to show rather than conceal the underlying material. Where Wajima lacquer builds up thick, opaque layers, Yamanaka work tends toward thinner, more transparent finishes that allow wood grain to participate in the final visual effect. In this piece, that philosophy is taken to its logical conclusion: the grain of the kurogaki is a co-author of the design.

Nakamura Sōetsu is a recorded Yamanaka artisan working within the formal tea ceremony utensil tradition. The inclusion of a signed box and shifuku cloth indicates a piece made for the gift and presentation market at the upper register of craft production.

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🔹 [ JAPANESE DESCRIPTION / 日本語解説 ]
中村宗悦作、山中塗・黒柿製柿蒔絵香合。極めて希少な黒柿材を用い、柿の実と葉の蒔絵を施した逸品です。黒柿の木目が仕上げを通して見え、素材と装飾が一体となった深い意匠が特徴。仕服・箱書き付き。高さ2cm、幅5.3cm、重量16g。割れ・欠けなし。秋の茶席に最適な作品です。

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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