Golden Treasures: Japanese Gold Lacquer Boxes - Erik Thomsen

13Spring and Autumn Tea CaddyAnonymous lacquer artistShōwa period (1926 – 89), 1930sH 2 ¼" × D 3"(6 cm × 7.9 cm)Hiranatsume tea caddy with a spring and autumndécor on the outside of myriad maple leaves andcherry blossoms formed in takamakie raised lacqueron a roiro polished black lacquer ground. Thesurfaces of the cherry blossoms are finished ingold and red/gold togidashi lacquer, while the mapleleaves are finished in gold lacquer, silver lacquer,nashiji gold flakes, and red/gold togidashilacquer. The lower sides have finely sprinkled bokashigold powder, which gradates from solid goldaround the bottom rim to no gold on the black lacqueras one goes up the side. The inside of the teacaddy and the bottom are decorated with denselysprinkled fine nashiji gold flakes.The tea caddy comes with a fitted kiri-wood box.28