The first thing you see is the orange. The high-contrast vermillion that has been Japan's colour of celebration for centuries. Against it, an Okina mask appears in gold on each lid: rendered as an object, complete with the silk cords used to tie it to an actor's face, as if it has just been set down between acts.

They are “owan”, the lacquered covered bowls used at every formal Japanese table: New Year's meals, kaiseki, wedding banquets. The combination of vermillion exterior and black interior is a classic of the form. This pair carries maki-e decoration of Okina, the most sacred figure in the Noh repertoire, and dates from somewhere between the late Meiji and early Shōwa periods.

Five small plates, each carrying the same quiet scene.

A gold plum branch in bloom, and beside it a red Daruma, round and still. The black lacquer makes both motifs glow as if lit from underneath. It's a combination that would have been immediately familiar to any Japanese household. And still is.

These are kashizara, the small lacquered plates used to serve wagashi sweets at tea ceremony or at the start of a formal meal. It is decorated in a combination of gold hiramaki-e for the plum branch and painted red urushi for the Daruma figure. The wood grain is visible through the lacquer on the interior, which gives each plate a slightly different depth of tone.

Three deep green bowls, each with its own scene in gold: shells and water plants, pampas grass with a bird in flight, sunflowers on long stems. Together on a shelf they make a quiet set. Picked up one by one, each becomes something separate.

These are owan, the lidded bowls that appear at every formal Japanese meal where broth or rice is served with ceremony rather than just hunger. A matched set was considered part of a household's kept things, something to bring out for guests. That these three have survived together this long, each one with a different scene, is itself a small piece of luck.

There is a color in Japanese lacquerware that has no good equivalent in Western craft: a deep oxblood red, warm enough to hold light, layered beneath a translucent black finish so that both colors live in the same surface at once. These two bowls with fitted lids have it.

The technique is called tame-nuri, and what it does to this particular shape, a round generous bowl with a low footing and a domed lid, is to make the red pull through wherever light hits the curve. The Mount Fuji scene in gold maki-e wraps fully around both bowls so that the landscape only reveals itself completely when you rotate them in your hands.

The bowls are signed by the Tanitake workshop (谷竹), based in Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku. Matsuyama has a long tradition of lacquerware production, and the pieces that came out of its established workshops were made for household use at a level that assumes the work will last. The maki-e on these bowls is not a tourist souvenir motif.

The gold application is precise, the scene is composed, and the combination of tame-nuri depth with gold decoration is a combination that requires skill in both techniques to execute well.

Two round forms sit on a black lacquered stand: the bride in the deep red specific to Ouchi-nuri, painted with gold and pink sakura and holding a miniature fan; the groom in high-gloss black with a blue kimono and a white cord at the chest. The pair is small enough to cup in both hands. The lacquer catches the light the way very few surfaces do.

Ouchi-nuri is a lacquer tradition from Yamaguchi, designated as a national traditional craft of Japan alongside Hagi-yaki. These dolls were made by the Kuwahara workshop (桑原大内塗漆器大内人形製作所), one of the established makers in Yamaguchi City, and they come with their original tomobako and the workshop's documentation leaflet. A pair with their original box and their documentation leaflet like this is genuinely uncommon to find outside Japan.

Read more about where I found them in my sourcing journal.

A fine karakusa motif winds across the surface, deep red carved into jet black lacquer. The pattern is continuous, one vine curling into the next without a clear start or end, which is exactly the point. Karakusa has stood for eternity and prosperity in Japanese decorative art for centuries, and here it wraps the natsume completely, catching the light differently depending on the angle you hold it at.

This piece was made by Sakamoto Sessai, who trained under Kurosai, the younger brother of Tamakaji Zōkoku, the founder of the Sanuki kinma tradition in Takamatsu on the island of Shikoku.

What makes this specific case special is that the set is still completely intact. The original wooden box with the signature of the master is included, as is the description from the antique shop in Matsuyama where I found this natsume. It is a real find for anyone who appreciates genuine Japanese tea ceremony craftsmanship.

This natsume immediately caught my eye with its deep, rich red hue and the incredible luster of the authentic Urushi lacquer.

I acquired this piece in Kyoto, though its roots lie in the prestigious Kaga region. This is an area world-renowned for producing Japan’s finest lacquerware. It was crafted by the master Sakashita Yūhō during the Showa period.

A beautiful detail to add is that the Tame-nuri technique used by Yūhō actually "lives" with you. Because the top layers of lacquer are semi-transparent, they gradually become clearer over decades of exposure to light. This means the wood grain and the deep red glow you see now will become even more vivid twenty years from today.

What makes this find truly special is that it remains tucked away in its original wooden tomobako box, which proudly bears the Kaga name: 加賀.

I work through my finds in small batches as each piece takes time to research, photograph and write properly. But some items are too good to sit invisible in the backlog, and if you have been looking for a set of three wooden lacquerware bowls with their lid and a gorgeous golden bird print, I want you to know this one exists.

A set of three vintage Japanese shikki lacquerware bowls. The exterior is finished in a high-gloss black urushi lacquer that provides a reflective surface. Each piece is adorned with subtle maki-e work in gold, featuring bird and tree patterns. The interior reveals the organic texture of the wood with a warm, red-toned finish.

Material: Authentic black urushi lacquer and gold maki-e. These items remain in exceptional vintage condition, retaining their deep luster and the clarity of the gold decorations. They have been preserved with great care through the years.

The full listing, photographs and price will follow. Want to know the moment it goes live? Scroll down.

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Notice: This natsume has found a new home. If you are looking for something similar, scroll down.

Item details
This lovely antique Japanese Natsume (matcha caddy) is a piece of history with a soul. Sourced in Okayama and dating back over 90 years, it carries the graceful character of a long life lived at the heart of the tea ceremony.

The caddy is finished in deep, midnight-black Urushi lacquer. The lid and sides are richly decorated with an intricate floral and leaf motif using the highly prized Maki-e technique. In this traditional process, fine gold powder is delicately sprinkled into wet lacquer, creating a shimmering, textured design that has stood the test of time.

Whether you are a practitioner of the tea ceremony or simply love a mindful tea moment, this natsume brings a touch of old-world Japan to your ritual. Very nice find for a matcha lover who appreciates the beauty of wabi-sabi. The Japanese aesthetic of finding beauty in imperfection and age.

These lovely owan have found a new home. If you are looking for something similar, scroll down.

A stunning trio of traditional Japanese lacquerware bowls (shikki) that carry nearly a century of history. These elegant covered bowls come from Okayama and showcase the timeless beauty of Japanese craftsmanship.

The deep, glossy black lacquer finish is absolutely mesmerizing - that mirror-like shine that only comes from authentic urushi (Japanese lacquer). Each bowl features delicate gold leaf decoration depicting bamboo or leaf motifs, applied using traditional maki-e technique. The lids fit perfectly, and the natural wood grain peeks through the warm honey-colored interior.

Details
- Set of 3 nesting bowls with lids
- Diameter: 12 cm each
- Height: 8 cm each
- Black urushi lacquer with gold leaf maki-e decoration
- Natural wood base with warm honey-toned interior

Remarkable condition for their age. The lacquer still has that deep shine, and the gold leaf decoration remains vibrant. These have been lovingly cared for over the decades.

Notice: This natsume has found a new home. If you are looking for something similar, scroll down.

Item details

A black urushi lacquer natsume with maki-e crane decoration, Japan, ca. Shōwa period (1926 to 1989). The rounded body and domed lid are lacquered in deep mirror-black, with two cranes painted in gold across the surface using the classic maki-e technique, in which gold powder is applied to the wet lacquer layer by layer. The wings are detailed and the composition follows the full curve of the form.

The natsume is the tea caddy used in Japanese tea ceremony to hold thin matcha for usucha preparation. This type, in black lacquer with crane motif, sits within a long tradition of auspicious tea utensils. The crane (鶴, tsuru) is one of the most enduring symbols in Japanese decorative arts, associated with longevity and good fortune.