{"product_id":"wajima-lacquer-pumpkin-kogo-by-kawagishi-masayoshi-golden-urushi-incense-box","title":"Wajima Lacquer Pumpkin Kogo by Kawagishi Masayoshi — Golden Urushi Incense Box","description":"Experience authentic Japanese Lacquerware with this Wajima Lacquer Kogo. This Golden Urushi Incense Box serves as a Pumpkin Form Kogo and Tea Ceremony Vessel, featuring Kawagishi Masayoshi craftsmanship and Tame Nuri Technique—a must-have for any Collector seeking a Sumiyama Studio piece with Signed Tomobako and Autumn Harvest Motif.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Artist: Kawagishi Masayoshi (川岸正義)\u003cbr\u003e• Studio: Sumiyama Lacquerware, Wajima\u003cbr\u003e• Form: Pumpkin-shaped kogo (incense container)\u003cbr\u003e• Material: Urushi lacquer on wood core\u003cbr\u003e• Dimensions: Height approx. 6.7 cm × Width approx. 7 cm (2.6\" × 2.8\")\u003cbr\u003e• Condition: Excellent — no chips, stable lacquer surface\u003cbr\u003e• Box: Signed tomobako with green silk cord\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ CULTURAL \u0026amp; ARTISTIC INSIGHT ]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe pumpkin motif in Japanese art carries associations of abundance, harvest, and the quiet poetry of seasonal change. In tea ceremony, kogo serve a specific ritual function: before lighting charcoal, the host places a small amount of incense inside the container, releasing fragrance as the fire warms. The choice of form — playful yet dignified — reflects the tea master's personality and the seasonal theme of the gathering.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWajima lacquer is considered Japan's finest, produced in Ishikawa Prefecture where artisans have perfected the craft over 600 years. Sumiyama, a respected workshop within Wajima, is known for balancing traditional techniques with contemporary sensibility. The warm amber tone suggests tame-nuri, a technique where pigmented lacquer is applied in thin, translucent layers, creating depth and luminosity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*\"The pumpkin waits in silence — its golden skin holding the memory of autumn light.\"*\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**Urushi Lacquer Tradition**: Urushi is sap harvested from the Toxicodendron vernicifluum tree, prized for its durability, water resistance, and ability to develop richer color over time. Each layer must dry in controlled humidity before the next is applied. A single piece can take weeks or months to complete.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**The Pumpkin Form**: The ribbed surface follows the natural anatomy of the kabocha, but the proportions are refined — slightly abstracted to suit the kogo's function. The lid fits snugly without being tight, a balance achieved through years of experience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**Wajima Distinction**: Wajima lacquer is distinguished by the addition of jinoko, a fine diatomaceous earth powder mixed into the base layers. This reinforces the lacquer, making it exceptionally resistant to cracking and warping. The final layers are pure urushi, hand-polished to a soft luster.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**Provenance \u0026amp; Authentication**: The signed tomobako confirms this was made as a considered work, not a production piece. The box inscription includes the artist's name, the studio affiliation, and the form (南瓜 — kabocha).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**Seasonal Use in Tea**: The kogo's role is subtle but essential. It appears during the charcoal-laying phase (sumi-demae), when the host prepares the fire. The pumpkin's seasonal associations make this kogo particularly appropriate for autumn gatherings, though its warmth and simplicity allow year-round use.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ 日本語解説 ]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e【基本情報】\u003cbr\u003e• 作家：川岸正義\u003cbr\u003e• 工房：輪島炭山漆器\u003cbr\u003e• 形状：かぼちゃ形香合\u003cbr\u003e• 素材：木胎漆塗\u003cbr\u003e• 寸法：高さ約6.7cm × 横幅約7cm\u003cbr\u003e• 付属：共箱（緑紐）\u003cbr\u003e• 状態：良好（剥離・欠けなし）\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e【解説】\u003cbr\u003e川岸正義氏による輪島炭山漆器のかぼちゃ形香合です。温かみのある飴色の漆塗りで、かぼちゃの自然な凹凸が丁寧に表現されています。蓋のつまみは蔓を模した形状で、全体の調和を保ちながら実用性も兼ね備えています。\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e輪島塗は、下地に地の粉（珪藻土）を用い、何層にも漆を重ねることで強度と美しさを両立させる伝統技法です。この作品では、溜塗りと思われる技法により、透明感のある深い色合いが実現されています。\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e茶道具としての香合は、炭手前の際に用いられる重要な道具です。かぼちゃという親しみやすいモチーフでありながら、凛とした品格を保つこの作品は、秋の茶席に特にふさわしい一品と言えるでしょう。\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ SHIPPING \u0026amp; PACKAGING ]\u003cbr\u003e• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days\u003cbr\u003e• Carrier: Japan Post EMS \/ UPS (with tracking)\u003cbr\u003e• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*Where lacquer meets harvest form, autumn finds its vessel of quiet gold.*","brand":"The Modern Zen Archive","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":61577434530162,"sku":"241123-a-0743","price":1217.0,"currency_code":"AED","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/5680\/3698\/files\/241123-a-0743_1.jpg?v=1770624543","url":"https:\/\/checkout.themodernzenarchive.com\/products\/wajima-lacquer-pumpkin-kogo-by-kawagishi-masayoshi-golden-urushi-incense-box","provider":"The Modern Zen Archive","version":"1.0","type":"link"}