Natural Fiber Lacquer

The Inro is decorated with a gold lacquer base and features mother of pearl shell inlay leaves surounding wheeled cart with foliage. The Inro with a slide action opening which hides ...

An impressive pair of antique Chinese two tiered hexagon shaped wedding basket or box. Made of lacquered bamboo and rattan. Hand painted in red and black with green accents. Written cursive script translates to poems about "picking mulberry leaves" and "the dangerous and difficult road when traveling through mountains". Also mentioned "Bailu" (15th solar term in the traditional Chinese calendars, around September), "Huangmei" (rainy season, in the Middle And Lower Reaches Of The Yangtze River), which could indicate this basket is probably made in the region near middle or lower part of Yangtze river. The orange marks on bottom ??/?? both translate to Wu Dui, who we assume was the artist / maker. Festive red stacking lacquer boxes are used for carrying food during the wedding procession of the bride. Usually there are two sets of boxes to balance each on the end of the pole. The top box serves as a lid for the bottom box and has a lid of its own. All are beautifully painted in red for good luck. The tradition of Chinese wedding boxes...

A Japanese red & black lacquer bowl from the early 20th century. Its frame is crafted from woven rattan fibres and covered in multiple layers of lac...

Early 20th century large Burmese lacquered bamboo tray handcrafted red Thai lacquered rattan footed stand. This Thai features a drum shape circular tray top sitting above a body rhythmically accented with spindle motifs, the ensemble resting on a confirming plinth. Burmese (Myanmar) lacquer ware has a long tradition dating back to the 13th century. Lacquer in Burma is called “Thitsi” meaning the sap of a Thitsi Tree (Melanhorrea Usitata). Typically, bamboo and wood are used as a frame or base in making lacquer work. This table tray stand called a “Dang lan”. This stand is constructed with woven bamboo that is then applied with many layers of lacquer. Black lacquered frame covered with red lacquer. A large high quality handcrafted wooden elevated tray...

Japanese Lacquer Rhino Sculpture by Someya Satoshi (1983-). A hand-molded lacquer sculpture that depicts a fantasy beast "Rhino". The artist uses century-old traditional techniques and symbols but with an innovative contemporary energy that borders mysticism, shamanism and surrealism. Found objects were equally treated as part of the meticulous designs as the elaborate Maki-e and shell inlays. According to the press of Honolulu Museum of Art: "Someya Satoshi has been described as “one of the most significant contemporary lacquer artists working in Japan today.” (Japan Times, 12 Dec. 2013) His work combines objects of daily use, such as bathing buckets, serving trays, and soup bowls, with a wide array of natural materials, including animal bones, horns and antlers, sand, stones, leaves and branches. In the process, he implements a range of traditional lacquer methods passed down from pre-modern eras, such as the kanshitsu or “dry lacquer” technique, the origins of which date to Japan’s Nara period (710–784). After creating his forms, he embellishes them with designs inspired by calligraphy, traditional Japanese textile patterns, and even contemporary manga or comic books. His work defies ordinary definitions of lacquer art and successfully challenges the perceived limits of this extremely difficult and, in some ways, most conservative of traditional Japanese art forms". His work was exhibited in US such as Honolulu Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Morikami Museum etc. For a complete resume of the artist, see the artist's page in Imura Art Gallery. Reference: For a very similar Bull Sculpture see Hard Bodies Contemporary Japanese Lacquer...

A work of art in itself, this finely woven Qing dynasty trunk likely once stored prized painted scrolls. Framed in elmwood, the trunk’s panels are lined with thin reeds that were pai...