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Tanmoku Plate, Samidare

Lacquerware
Craft Company
Komai Shikki
ORIGIN
Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture
SIZE
Φ240 × H20 mm
MATERIAL
Horse chestnut, lacquer

Traces of early summer rain

This wooden plate, named “Tanmoku-zara,” was inspired by one of the traditional techniques of Takaoka lacquerware, in which pieces are engraved and lacquered. A metal craftsman engraves delicate hammered patterns with exquisite care on a 100-year-old horse chestnut tree shaped by a woodturning craftsman with a plane and a rokuro, or spinning lathe. When raw lacquer is applied over the wood, shadows appear like traces of rain on the grain of the wood. This beautiful piece, made through the skillful collaboration of artisans in Takaoka, a town known for its lacquer and metal crafts, has the warmth of handiwork in their elegant appearance.

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