Item Description This exquisite tea caddy (natsume) is a masterpiece by Matsuki Daisuke, a skilled maki-e artisan renowned for his refined lacquerwork and traditional Japanese decorative techniques. The piece features a stunning design of peonies executed in the elegant "Kinrinji" style, which references a historic tea ceremony tradition dating back to Emperor Go-Daigo's era. The surface is adorned with delicately applied gold maki-e depicting luxuriant peony blossoms, a motif symbolizing prosperity, honor, and nobility in Japanese culture. The peony decoration showcases exceptional craftsmanship, with meticulously rendered petals and foliage that demonstrate the artist's mastery of traditional maki-e techniques. Enhanced with raden (mother-of-pearl inlay), the design captures light beautifully, creating an iridescent shimmer that adds depth and dimension to the composition. The deep black lacquer ground provides a dramatic contrast to the golden peonies, embodying the refined aesthetic principles of the Japanese tea ceremony. This piece comes with its original signed box (tomobako) and explanatory leaflet (shiori), confirming its authenticity and provenance. The careful preservation of these accompanying documents underscores the piece's significance as a genuine work by Matsuki. The natsume is designed to hold thin tea (usucha) powder and represents the perfect marriage of functional teaware and decorative art. Matsuki Daisuke is recognized as a traditional craftsman (dento kogei-shi) specializing in Wajima lacquerware, one of Japan's most prestigious lacquer traditions. His works exemplify the technical excellence and artistic sensibility that have made Japanese lacquerware treasured worldwide. Size Height: 7.3 cm Width: 8.2 cm Depth: 5.6 cm Condition The piece shows minor signs of age-appropriate wear consistent with careful use and storage. Overall condition is very good with well-preserved lacquer and maki-e decoration. Artist Profile Matsuki Daisuke (Matsuki Daisuke) is a distinguished maki-e artisan and traditional craftsman (dento kogei-shi) specializing in Wajima lacquerware. Based in Ishikawa Prefecture, Matsuki has dedicated his career to preserving and advancing the centuries-old traditions of Japanese decorative lacquerwork. His expertise encompasses the full range of maki-e techniques, from delicate gold and silver powder application to complex raden (mother-of-pearl) inlay work. Matsuki's pieces are celebrated for their technical precision, elegant designs, and adherence to traditional tea ceremony aesthetics, making his works highly sought after by tea practitioners and collectors of Japanese lacquerware. NOITICE: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by Japan Post, DHL or FedEx depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customes or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.