Box - Wood - 伝統工芸/飛騨春慶/三段重箱

**Please read before bidding — Shipping notice:**
The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx or EMS 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 Customs 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.

---

A three-tier stacking lacquer box (jubako) in the Hida Shunkei tradition, complete with a pair of lacquered chopsticks and its original storage box — a rare and complete set in excellent overall condition.

Hida Shunkei (飛騨春慶) is one of Japan's most celebrated lacquerware traditions, designated a National Traditional Craft by the Japanese government in 1975. Originating in the castle town of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, during the early Edo period (Keicho era, early 17th century), it was born when master carpenter Takahashi Kizaemon was captivated by the exquisite grain of a sawara cypress log and crafted a tray from it. The tray so delighted the feudal lord's cultural arbiter that it was lacquered in clear urushi and eventually presented to the Tokugawa shogunate. The name "Shunkei" derives from its colour resemblance to the famed Kamakura-era tea caddy "Hi Shunkei no Chaire."

What sets Hida Shunkei apart from virtually all other Japanese lacquerware is its use of transparent urushi (sukiurushi) over uncoloured wood. Where most lacquer traditions conceal the wood beneath opaque black or vermilion, Hida Shunkei celebrates it — the natural grain of Kiso hinoki cypress or sawara cypress glows warmly through layers of clear lacquer, producing a deep amber and tortoiseshell translucency that deepens and mellows with age and use. No maki-e painting, no chinkin engraving: the beauty is entirely in the wood and the lacquer's honest clarity.

This jubako exemplifies the form at its finest. The three tiers are of classic rectangular construction with gently flared sides and a fitted lid, all in the warm reddish-amber tone that is the hallmark of mature Hida Shunkei. The pronounced horizontal grain lines — a characteristic of the carefully selected timber — create a quiet, rhythmic pattern across every surface. Each side panel features a gracefully carved open-work cutout in an organic flowing motif, providing both decorative elegance and a practical finger-grip for lifting each tier. A pair of matching lacquered chopsticks is included, and the whole set is preserved in its original wooden storage box bearing the label "飛騨春慶" (Hida Shunkei).

Jubako are used in Japan for festive and ceremonial meals, most notably for osechi ryori — the elaborately prepared New Year's cuisine arranged in tiered boxes to bring good fortune for the year ahead. To serve food from Hida Shunkei lacquerware is to connect the meal to four centuries of Japanese craft tradition.

---

My message / 私のメッセージ

Thank you so much for taking a look at my items. I run a recycle shop in Japan and joined Catawiki because I want to share wonderful items filled with Japanese craftsmanship and history with the world. If you have any questions about the items, please feel free to message me at any time. With gratitude to everyone — ARIGATO.

---

**Please read before bidding — Shipping notice:**
The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx or EMS 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 Customs 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.

Height: 17 cm (stacked, with lid)
Width: 14 cm
Depth: 14 cm
Weight
502 g (total, including chopsticks and storage box)
Condition
Good condition overall; minor surface scratches and light scuffs consistent with age and gentle use. No chips, cracks, or significant lacquer loss. Chopsticks and original storage box included.