Natsume (Japanese tea caddy) lacquer and gold, fukiyose design by Shōei Suzuki

This ōnatsume (a box used to hold matcha powder during the Japanese tea ceremony) by Shōei Suzuki, a master lacquerer from Kanazawa, is a piece of remarkable quality. On a black urushi lacquer base entirely animated with a very fine nashiji (gold-powdered ground), the fukiyose (plants gathered by the wind) motif unfolds in maki-e (gold powder), enriched with kirikane and delicate raden inlays. The richness of the golds, the finesse of the design, and the variations in light give this large natsume a particularly precious presence.

The Artist

Shōei Suzuki is a master lacquerer born in 1945 in Kanazawa, one of the great historical centers of Japanese lacquerware. A specialist in Kaga maki-e, he trained under Shōitsu Nishimura, an important figure in this lacquer tradition developed in the former Kaga Province and renowned for the delicacy of its gold decorations. Shōei Suzuki dedicates a significant part of his work to objects intended for chanoyu, particularly natsume, in which he deploys the traditional Japanese decorative repertoire through meticulous maki-e work.

Decor and techniques

The decoration is dedicated to fukiyose (plants gathered by the wind), a traditional motif evoking leaves, flowers, and needles swept up and then brought together by the breath of the wind. On this natsume, the composition mixes maple leaves, ginkgo leaves, chrysanthemums, cherry blossoms, and pine needles. The plants are scattered over the entire surface, giving the design its characteristic movement.

The remarkable gold-powder maki-e work combines flat motifs with others in slight relief, executed with great finesse in different shades of gold. Some details are enriched with kirikane (small cut pieces of gold leaf), visible notably in the form of tiny squares that punctuate the leaves. Very fine raden (mother-of-pearl) inlays add iridescent highlights to the hearts of the cherry blossoms.

The black urushi lacquer base is almost entirely covered with a nashiji (gold-powdered ground) whose density varies depending on the area. The gold concentrates or spreads out, allowing the depth of the black to appear more in certain places and creating subtle plays of light around the motifs. The interior of the natsume, including the lid and the bowl, is entirely finished in a very fine and particularly luminous nashiji.

Form and use

This ōnatsume (large natsume) is intended for usucha (thin tea) during the Japanese tea ceremony.

Presentation

This piece is accompanied by its tomobako (original wooden box), bearing the name of the work, the signature and seal of Shōei Suzuki, and fastened with a sanadahimo (cord).

Place of manufacture
Japan, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture

Period
Heisei Era (1989 - 2019)

Dimensions
Diameter 7.5 cm - Height 7.7 cm

Weight
Natsume only: XXX g
Natsume with boxes: XXX g

Materials
Wood, urushi lacquer, maki-e (gold powder), kirikane (cut gold), raden (mother-of-pearl)

Condition
Very good condition