{"product_id":"vintage-wajima-lacquer-meoto-wan-bamboo-makie-tomobako-showa-1985","title":"Vintage Wajima Lacquer Bowl Pair — Bamboo Maki-e, Tomobako, Showa 1985","description":"\u003cp\u003eA pair of hand-finished \u003cstrong\u003e輪島塗 (Wajima-nuri)\u003c\/strong\u003e lacquer bowls in the traditional \u003cstrong\u003e夫婦椊 (meoto-wan \/ 'husband-and-wife') format\u003c\/strong\u003e, made in \u003cstrong\u003e1985 (Shōwa 60)\u003c\/strong\u003e. One bowl is finished in vermilion (朱) lacquer, one in deep black (黒), and both are decorated with sasa — Japanese bamboo grass — in hand-applied \u003cstrong\u003e蜡絵 (maki-e)\u003c\/strong\u003e gold. The pair arrives in its original paulownia \u003cem\u003etomobako\u003c\/em\u003e (signed inside the lid) with both bowls still individually wrapped in maker-stamped washi paper, and the original Wajima association pamphlet folded inside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e📐 Specifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSet:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 bowls — one vermilion exterior + vermilion interior, one black exterior + vermilion interior (meoto-wan \/ Japanese 'husband-and-wife' pair)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEach bowl:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12 cm rim diameter × 6 cm height (≈4.7″ × 2.4″), 5 cm foot ring diameter (≈2.0″)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEach bowl weight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 132 g (≈4.7 oz); pair total ≈ 264 g (≈9.3 oz)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapacity:\u003c\/strong\u003e to be measured by water-fill test before dispatch (typical meoto-wan profile)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSubstrate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 天然木 (natural wood — Wajima tradition typically keyaki 欅 or asunaro 檜; specific species not declared on the Quality Act label)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSurface lacquer:\u003c\/strong\u003e うるし塗装 (urushi)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLacquer base:\u003c\/strong\u003e 地の粉漆下地 (ji-no-ko urushi — the diatomaceous-earth-charged foundation layer that is the signature Wajima technique)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDecoration:\u003c\/strong\u003e hand-applied maki-e (蜡絵) sasa bamboo motif in gold, with light green-yellow leaf accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBox:\u003c\/strong\u003e original 桐箱 paulownia tomobako, 28.5 × 15 × 10 cm (≈11.2 × 5.9 × 3.9″); lid exterior 輪島塗 夫婦椊 brush calligraphy; interior 哲 + 伝統工芸師 + maker's red seal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePaper wrap:\u003c\/strong\u003e each bowl in maker-stamped washi paper — 特堅牢美術 \/ 産 輪島塗 \/ 伝統工芸\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePamphlet:\u003c\/strong\u003e original 輪島塗の栃 from 漆の里・輪島 (Urushi-no-Sato Wajima — the official Wajima lacquerware association)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuality Indication Act registration:\u003c\/strong\u003e 承認番号 SK-IK-0156 (家庭用品品質表示法)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurated by ZenKiln\u003c\/strong\u003e from a Japanese antique dealer; \u003cstrong\u003eattribution Tier A\u003c\/strong\u003e (era + origin + craft tradition) + \u003cstrong\u003eTier B\u003c\/strong\u003e (signed 哲, designated Traditional Craftsperson — specific named individual not identified)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e🏮 Provenance \u0026amp; Attribution\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWajima-nuri (輪島塗) is the lacquerware tradition of Wajima city on the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture. It is one of Japan's officially designated 経済産業大臣指定 伝統的工芸品 (Traditional Crafts recognised by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry), and is known for its \u003cstrong\u003ehonkenji 本堅地 method\u003c\/strong\u003e — a 70-to-120-step lacquering process taking between four months and over a year per piece, characterised by a ji-no-ko (地の粉) base layer of charged diatomaceous earth that creates an exceptionally durable foundation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis pair carries a \u003cstrong\u003eTier A attribution chain\u003c\/strong\u003e for era, origin, and craft tradition: original paulownia tomobako with 輪島塗 夫婦椊 brush calligraphy on the lid; maker-stamped washi paper-wrap reading 特堅牢美術 \/ 産 輪島塗 \/ 伝統工芸 (Special-Durability Art \/ Wajima-produced \/ Traditional Craft); original 輪島塗の栃 pamphlet from the official Wajima lacquerware association; Quality Indication Act registration SK-IK-0156 on the box underside declaring material composition as urushi over ji-no-ko base over natural wood. Production year given as Shōwa 60 (1985).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003eTier B attribution\u003c\/strong\u003e applies to the specific maker. The interior of the tomobako lid bears the signature \u003cstrong\u003e哲 (Tetsu)\u003c\/strong\u003e accompanied by the formal title \u003cstrong\u003e伝統工芸師 (Dentō Kōgei-shi — Designated Traditional Craftsperson)\u003c\/strong\u003e and a red square maker seal. A second faint scratched mark of two characters appears on the underside of the black bowl. The title 伝統工芸師 is a government-recognised designation given to artisans who have passed a national qualification, so the maker's professional standing is verified — but the specific named individual behind the signature 哲 cannot be attributed without a further match in a Wajima maker registry, so we do not name a specific artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e🔍 Condition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pair has been preserved in its original packaging since 1985 and arrives with light surface wear consistent with a 40-year-old hand-finished piece — no major chips or losses are visible in supplied photographs. Antique lacquerware is by nature a record of its years; any minor abrasions, lacquer micro-cracks, or faint scratches that emerge under loupe inspection will be enumerated honestly before dispatch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e✍️ Tomobako \u0026amp; Hakogaki Transcription\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExterior lid (sumi calligraphy):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e輪島塗　夫婦椊 — Wajima-nuri Meoto-wan — 'Wajima-lacquer Husband-and-Wife Bowls'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInterior lid (hakogaki, top to bottom):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e哲 → Tetsu \/ Tetsuo → maker's go-mei (signature character)\u003cbr\u003e伝統工芸師 → Dentō Kōgei-shi → 'Designated Traditional Craftsperson'\u003cbr\u003e[red square seal] → maker's studio mark\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaper wrap (each bowl):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e特堅牢美術 \/ 産 輪島塗 \/ 伝統工芸 — Tokukenrō Bijutsu \/ san Wajima-nuri \/ Dentō Kōgei — 'Special-Durability Art Ware \/ Wajima-produced \/ Traditional Craft'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBox-bottom Quality Indication Act sticker:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e家庭用品品質表示法による表示\u003cbr\u003e· Surface coating type: うるし塗装 (urushi lacquer)\u003cbr\u003e· Base coating: 地の粉漆下地 (ji-no-ko urushi base)\u003cbr\u003e· Substrate type: 天然木 (natural wood)\u003cbr\u003e· Approval number: SK-IK-0156\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e🎋 Cultural \u0026amp; Craft Context\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003etwo-tone red-and-black pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e seen in this set is one of the classical Wajima-nuri colour traditions: the red (朱 shu) is for one partner and the black (黒) for the other, with both bowls sharing a vermilion interior so the two read as a matched pair when set side by side at the table. The decoration motif — \u003cstrong\u003esasa (笹)\u003c\/strong\u003e, a short-leaved bamboo grass — is a long-running Japanese decorative subject, often paired with pine and plum (matsu-take-ume \/ 松竹梅) but here used alone, with each bowl carrying a slightly different sasa branch composition in gold maki-e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe accompanying brochure, \u003cstrong\u003e輪島塗の栃 ('Notes on Wajima Lacquer')\u003c\/strong\u003e, is the standard introductory pamphlet from the official Wajima lacquerware association (漆の里・輪島); it documents the roughly 1,000-year recorded history of Wajima lacquer, the 600-year history of the honkenji method that defines the craft, and notes the typical 70-to-120 production steps and 4-month-to-1-year per-piece timeline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e🧼 Care for Antique Lacquerware\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eHand-wash only in lukewarm water with mild soap; rinse gently and pat dry with a soft cotton cloth\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eNO microwave, NO dishwasher, NO oven — heat will damage urushi lacquer and may crack the wood substrate\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAvoid prolonged soaking; never leave in standing water\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAvoid direct sunlight when not in use (urushi colour can shift under UV)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eStore in a cool, ventilated place — preferably back inside the tomobako with the paper wrap\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA faint urushi scent from long box storage is normal for older lacquerware. Leaving the bowls in a dry rice container (米櫃) for several days will absorb any residual aroma, per the original Wajima association pamphlet's care notes.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout ZenKiln\u003c\/strong\u003e — A Japan-based curator connecting international collectors with Japan's artisan ceramic tradition. We work closely with the kilns, workshops, and makers featured in our shop — each one disclosed in our About section — and hand-pack every piece in Japan for safe delivery worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e📦 Ships from Japan, hand-packed for safe delivery. Antique pieces are wrapped in their original tomobako and paper wrap, then double-boxed with archival-grade cushioning. Insurance for the full sale value is recommended on all antique orders and is included by default on orders over $250.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ZenKiln","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47698352668902,"sku":"ZK-LWR-WAJIMA-MEOTO-1985-001","price":392.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/5392\/5350\/files\/DSC09208.webp?v=1779293416","url":"https:\/\/zen-kiln.com\/fr-ca\/products\/vintage-wajima-lacquer-meoto-wan-bamboo-makie-tomobako-showa-1985","provider":"ZenKiln","version":"1.0","type":"link"}