Polychrome Lacquer Hira-Natsume by Shoji - Saishiki Urushi Tea Caddy with Signed Box

Experience Authentic Japan Art with this Polychrome Lacquer Natsume. This Contemporary Lacquerware serves as a Saishiki Urushi Art and Hira Natsume Caddy masterpiece, featuring Gold Line Design artistry and Modern Lacquer Craft—a must-have for any Art Collector seeking a Tea Ceremony Lacquer and Japanese Lacquer Art.

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🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]

• Artist: Shoji (省二)
• Technique: Saishiki-urushi (polychrome lacquer)
• Era: Contemporary (Heisei–Reiwa period)
• Origin: Japan
• Dimensions: Diameter approx. 8.6 cm (3.4"), Height approx. 6 cm (2.4")
• Box: Tomobako (signed wooden box) with artist seal and matching cloth wrapper
• Condition: Excellent

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🔹 [ CULTURAL & ARTISTIC INSIGHT ]

Saishiki-urushi represents the sophisticated layering of colored lacquers, a technique that demands both technical precision and aesthetic vision. Shoji's work demonstrates how contemporary lacquer artists honor centuries-old methods while speaking in distinctly modern visual language. The gradient from deep charcoal-olive to warm golden-beige creates spatial depth, while flowing gold lines trace abstract patterns that evoke natural movement — perhaps waves, perhaps calligraphic gesture.

The hira-natsume form itself carries quiet authority in tea ceremony tradition. Its low, broad profile speaks to stability and understated presence, making it particularly suited for formal tea gatherings. Here, Shoji transforms this classical vessel into contemporary statement, proving that tradition and innovation need not stand opposed.

*"The lacquer holds centuries. The gold line speaks now."*

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🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ]

**Color Gradient Philosophy**: The transition from dark base to lighter top creates visual lift, suggesting emergence from shadow into light. This tonal movement echoes tea ceremony's progression from preparation through sharing — a journey from individual practice to communal presence.

**Gold Line Dynamics**: The flowing gold patterns resist symmetry, embracing organic irregularity that recalls nature's refusal of perfect repetition. These lines don't merely decorate the surface; they activate the entire form, guiding the eye in continuous movement around the vessel.

**Contemporary Signature**: The artist's name "省二" inscribed in red lacquer on the base and signed on the tomobako establishes clear authorship — a modern practice that honors individual artistic vision while maintaining connection to workshop tradition.

**Material Integrity**: Multiple layers of urushi (natural Japanese lacquer) create luminous depth impossible to achieve through single application. Each layer must cure completely before the next, making this technique as much about patience as skill. The surface bears quiet sheen rather than aggressive gloss — characteristic of refined lacquerwork.

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🔹 [ 日本語解説 ]

【基本情報】
• 作家：省二
• 技法：彩色漆（さいしきうるし）
• 時代：現代（平成〜令和）
• 産地：日本
• 寸法：直径約8.6cm、高さ約6cm
• 付属：共箱（作家署名・印あり）、共布付
• 状態：良好

【解説】
彩色漆は、複数色の漆を重ねることで色彩の深みと空間性を生み出す高度な技法です。省二氏は伝統的な平棗の形式を守りながら、現代的な感性で大胆な金の流線デザインを施しています。暗いオリーブグリーンから温かみのあるベージュへのグラデーションは、茶会における心の移ろいを象徴するかのようです。

有機的な金の線は自然界の不規則性を反映し、完璧な対称を避けることで生命感を宿しています。底部と共箱に記された「省二」の署名は、現代作家としての明確な作家性を示すと同時に、工房伝統への敬意も表しています。共布付きで保管も万全です。

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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

*Gold flows where intention meets form.*