Description
These Echizen Lacquerware side plates are exquisite items combining the refined matte shine of red lacquerwith the detailed gold designs made with chinkin done by the second-generation Tomita Ritsuzan, a renowned chinkin craftsman.
The smooth and even coat of the deep red lacquer is painted using a technique called negoro, a method of lacquering by which a black lacquerunderneath the red lacqueris visible.The more it is used, the more the black lacquer will become visible, giving the plate an added vintage taste.
Chinkin is a traditional technique used to create detailed designs with gold on lacquerware surfaces. Unlike maki-e, where gold leaves and powder are directly applied to a surface, for chinkin, shallow and very thin grooves are made onto the surface, which are then filled with gold leaves and powder. This method gives the gold designs an almost “sunken” appearance on the beautiful lacquerware surface as the literal definition of chinkin is “sunken gold” in Japanese.
The wide pine branches depicted on these plates are known as suehiro pines, which symbolize auspiciousness. As these designs are made by hand, each pine branch is unique, with the silver leaves applied on different places on the branch. The Japanese calligraphy on the bottom of the stem is the signature of Tomita Ritsuzan.
These plates are perfect for entertaining guests on celebratory occasions such as the New Year or milestone birthdays. They can also be used to serve Japanese sweets when serving matcha tea or Japanese green tea to guests.
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