Ō-Natsume Shunshū Maki-e Tea Caddy – Nashiji Gold Band – Okuhara Shōun – Spring Autumn – Japan

🔹 [ GOLDEN-RATIO HOOK ]
An ō-natsume tea caddy by Okuhara Shōun, its body encircled by a luminous nashiji band bearing spring and autumn flowers in polychrome maki-e. This Japanese lacquer tea caddy carries the shunshū motif — chrysanthemum, wisteria, bush clover, and seasonal flora rendered in gold, red, and color maki-e against a pear-skin gold ground. A work of accomplished Kyoto-lineage lacquerwork, this natsume embodies the Japanese understanding that all seasons exist simultaneously within a single vessel.

🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]
• Artist: Okuhara Shōun (奥原祥雲)
• Technique: Maki-e with nashiji (梨子地) gold band on urushi lacquer
• Motif: Shunshū (春秋) — spring and autumn seasonal flowers
• Origin: Japan
• Dimensions: Diameter approx. 7.3 cm, Height approx. 7.5 cm
• Box: Tomobako with calligraphy '帯春秋 大棗 祥雲' and seal
• Condition: Excellent — no chips, cracks, or repairs; lacquer and maki-e intact

🔹 [ CULTURAL & ARTISTIC INSIGHT ]
Shunshū (春秋, literally 'spring-autumn') is among the most philosophically layered motifs in Japanese decorative arts. Rather than depicting a single season, it compresses the entire arc of the year into one composition — cherry and wisteria alongside chrysanthemum and bush clover — suggesting that beauty is not bound to a moment but exists across time. The tomobako inscription reads 'obi shunshū' (帯春秋), meaning 'belt of spring-autumn,' describing the decorative band that encircles the caddy's body like a kimono sash. This obi composition is a deliberate formal choice: it concentrates the decorative program into a single register, leaving the upper and lower surfaces in quiet black lacquer.

🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ]
The nashiji ground within the band deserves particular attention. Nashiji (梨子地, 'pear-skin ground') is achieved by sprinkling irregularly shaped gold flakes into wet lacquer, then sealing them beneath additional transparent coats. The result is a warm, luminous field that appears to glow from within — a technique requiring multiple firings and exacting control. Against this golden ground, Shōun has placed seasonal flowers with precise brushwork: chrysanthemums in full bloom, trailing wisteria, delicate bush clover, and scattered petals. The polychrome maki-e employs not only gold but red and green pigments, creating depth and botanical specificity.

The ō-natsume form — larger than the standard natsume — was developed for koicha (thick tea) service, where the caddy's generous proportions accommodate the greater quantity of matcha required. The clean interior confirms careful stewardship.

*A golden band holds two seasons. Spring does not end; autumn does not begin. They simply coexist.*

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

🔹 [ JAPANESE DESCRIPTION / 日本語解説 ]
奥原祥雲作の大棗、帯春秋蒔絵です。胴部中央に梨子地金の帯が巡り、その中に春秋の花々——菊、藤、萩などが金・赤・色蒔絵で精緻に描かれています。上下は深い黒漆の無地で、帯の華やかさを際立たせる構成です。共箱の箱書きに「帯春秋 大棗 祥雲」と花押。径約7.3cm、高さ約7.5cm。ヒビ・カケなし。蓋合わせも精密で、保存状態良好な一品です。