Japanese Gold Leaf Lacquerware Bowl with Signed Box, Plum Blossom Maki-e Design, Authentic Urushi Lacquer Serving Bowl

This magnificent Japanese lacquerware bowl is a masterpiece of traditional urushi craftsmanship, featuring an exquisite plum blossom design created with gold leaf and maki-e techniques. Complete with its original artist-signed wooden storage box (tomobako), this piece represents the pinnacle of Japanese decorative arts, combining centuries-old techniques with timeless beauty.

Luxurious Gold Lacquer Finish:
The entire bowl is covered in a lustrous gold lacquer that catches and reflects light beautifully, creating a warm, luminous glow. The burnished gold surface has subtle variations in tone, with the interior displaying a brighter, more brilliant gold and the exterior showing a slightly deeper, antique gold patina. This multi-layered lacquer finish required numerous applications and polishing sessions to achieve its mirror-like depth and richness.

Elegant Plum Blossom Design:
The interior features a stunning composition of ume (plum blossoms) painted with meticulous detail. The design includes branches bearing both red-pink and cream-white five-petaled blossoms, each flower delicately rendered with gold centers depicting stamens. The branches are painted in deep green with naturalistic shading, and small buds and additional blossoms create a graceful, asymmetrical composition that follows Japanese aesthetic principles. The artwork is rendered using maki-e (sprinkled picture) technique, where gold and colored powders are applied to wet lacquer to create the dimensional design.

Maki-e and Kinpaku Techniques:
This bowl showcases multiple traditional Japanese lacquerware techniques including maki-e (decorative lacquer work with metal powders), kinpaku (gold leaf application), and multiple layers of urushi (natural lacquer from the lacquer tree). The artist's seal stamp in red appears alongside the design, certifying the piece's authenticity. The combination of raised and flat decoration creates subtle dimensionality that can be both seen and felt.

Original Signed Wooden Box (Tomobako):
The bowl comes with its original paulownia wood storage box, hand-inscribed with beautiful calligraphy by the artist.

The bowl features a generous, deep form with gently curved sides and a stable base. It is a substantial size bowl for serving or for crafts such as Ikebana.

About Japanese Lacquerware (Urushi):
Japanese lacquerware is created through an exceptionally labor-intensive process involving dozens of layers of natural urushi lacquer, each requiring days to dry and cure in controlled humidity. The lacquer is harvested from lacquer trees and has been used in Japan for over 5,000 years. Fine pieces like this bowl can take months to complete and represent the pinnacle of Japanese craft traditions.

Versatile Display and Use:
Perfect for special occasion serving, displaying as art, tea ceremony, ceremonial use, or as the centerpiece of a Japanese-inspired interior. While functional, pieces of this quality are often displayed as art objects.

We travel to Japan, East Asia and other countries to source and find the most unique and rare hand made and vintage pieces.

Disclaimer:
Please note that all vintage items may show signs of age and wear due to their history. These imperfections are part of their charm and authenticity. Handmade items may also include intentional irregularities, which reflect the unique craftsmanship and character of each piece.

We do our best to accurately represent each product in photos; however, due to differences in lighting and screen settings, colors may appear slightly different in person. Please review all photos and descriptions carefully before purchasing. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

Because each item is handmade, dimensions, color, and pattern may vary slightly. No pieces are exactly the same.