TIERED BOX FOR INCENSE UTENSILS
Meiji Period, c. 1880
Coloured and gold makie with inlays
19 x 24 x 21 cm.

This piece chimes with the heart of traditional Japanese culture – chado – the Way of Tea. A tiered box with internal tray is decorated, in the style of eighteenth century lacquer innovator Haritsu, with the essential components of the tea ceremony, all set against a richly textured black ground. Mastery of a very wide range of lacquer techniques is evident in replication of metals, ceramics and bamboo, coupled with inlays of ceramic and bone to capture the essence of the pieces. All are in decoration of a box intended for the storage of elements of incense appreciation, thereby linking the central components of chado.