Japanese urushi lacquer box

€382
.

An exceptional work of carved wood and urushi lacquer made by Ikkei Ninjo, in collaboration with Shigeo Mashiro, founder of the Sfera brand, who brought his contemporary vision to this timeless work. Ninjo san is the son of a very famous Japanese craftsman and they work together in the ancestral workshop in Ibara, near Kurashiki in Okayama province.

The touch of this round two-tiered box is incomparably soft, revealing the depth and brilliance of the multiple layers of black lacquer with delicate red reflections. Ninjo san's work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions in Japan. He thinks of his work as objects for everyday use that last a lifetime, adapted to a contemporary lifestyle. A wonderful gift to give or to give yourself.

This piece is a one-off.

PLACE OF MANUFACTURE JAPAN
DIMENSIONS

Diameter 15cm x Height 12cm; thickness of edges: 1cm

WEIGHT 440gr
COMPOSITION Chestnut wood (Horse Chesnut wood) and urushi lacquer

To create this box, planks of Japanese horse chestnut wood (tochi no ki) first had to be selected, which had been drying for 10 years. Ninjo san cut out cylinders from these planks, and the slow and tedious work of carving began, inside and out, until he obtained perfectly smooth and light pieces.


He then applied 4 layers of traditional Japanese urushi lacquer with a brush. Between each coat the object was left to dry in a large wooden box for several hours with calibrated temperature and humidity, and also between each coat and once dry was rubbed for a long time with sandpaper. This gives the object not only its unique soft appearance provided by the traditional urushi lacquer but also its exceptional durability.

Traditional Japanese lacquer, urushi, is made from the sap of the lacquer tree (Rhus Verniciflua), which flows out after cutting the bark. It is a very precious material, a tree will only give a maximum of 200ml of sap in its life, which is worked by craftsmen each specialized in a particular stage. It takes many slow and meticulous operations to give life to lacquered objects. It is the oldest craft in Japan! Initially used to protect and waterproof objects, this immutable craft has become an art of extreme sophistication. If you want to know more about the art of Japanese lacquerware, you can read our dedicated article here.

This object keeps in memory the hand of the craftsman who designed it with patience. It will accompany your daily life, bringing its delicate and refined beauty, while contributing to the preservation of unique craftsmanship.

CARE INSTRUCTIONS Clean with a very soft cloth to avoid scratches, soaked with a little warm water if necessary (never soak your lacquered objects). No microwave, dishwasher, dryer. Do not expose to direct sunlight for a long time (risk of discoloration). If the atmosphere is very dry and very hot, and to avoid the risk of cracking, you can place a glass filled with water next to your lacquered object.

Shipping costs will be calculated and added at checkout.

We usually ship orders within 48 business hours (except for fine art photographic prints, which require between 5 and 10 business days because they are prepared on demand), but it may happen that this delay is longer when new collections are put online or if we are traveling abroad.
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The shipping costs are calculated and added during the finalization of the basket.

Deliveries are made by Colissimo with tracking. Each package is, at the buyer's choice, delivered at home against a signature or delivered in a Point Relais La Poste. Packages are insured up to their value against loss or damage.

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Metropolitan France, Andorra, Monaco. From 5,47€

France Overseas zone 1 (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, Guyana, Mayotte and St-Pierre-et-Miquelon). From 15,71€

France Overseas zone 2 (New Caledonia, French Polynesia...). From 23.05€

Zone 1 (Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands). From 10,55€

Zone 2 (Austria, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal). From 12,12€

Zone 3 (Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden). From 13,63€

Zone 4 (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Malta, Romania). From 16,00€

Zone 5 (United States). From 30,80€

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