Item Description Please read the following shipping notice before proceeding. Shipping method: 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. This exquisite stationery box (fubako) is a masterwork of Aizu lacquerware (Aizu-nuri), one of Japan's most celebrated lacquer traditions hailing from the historic Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture. Against a deep, mirror-polished jet-black lacquer ground, delicate golden pine fronds sway with extraordinary naturalism — a design known in Japanese as "Hana no Matsu" (Flowering Pine), rendered in the finest keshi-fun maki-e technique for which Aizu lacquerwork is renowned. The pine motif holds profound significance in Japanese culture. The pine (matsu) is one of the "Three Friends of Winter" (sho-chiku-bai), symbolizing longevity, resilience, and unwavering spirit. The feathery, fan-like pine needles depicted here are rendered with breathtaking precision — each needle individually suggested in gossamer-fine gold powder, creating an impression of gentle movement, as though touched by a breeze. A tiny white sphere, likely representing a drop of morning dew or a pearl of resin, accents the composition with quiet elegance. A red artist's seal is applied to the lower right of the lid, testifying to the piece's handcrafted origins. Aizu-nuri traces its history to the Muromachi period (14th century), when local lords encouraged the planting of lacquer trees across the Aizu basin. Under the patronage of successive feudal lords — most notably the Matsudaira clan of the Edo period — the craft flourished into a sophisticated industry incorporating gold maki-e, chinkin engraving, and polychrome urushi painting. Today, Aizu lacquerware is designated a Traditional Craft of Japan by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The box comes in its original paulownia storage box (kiribako), which serves as both protection and proof of the maker's care. The interior of the lacquer box reveals a smooth, refined black-lacquered surface, ideal for storing correspondence, writing instruments, or small treasured objects. 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 the following shipping notice before proceeding. Shipping method: 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. Size Height: 4 cm Width: 21.5 cm Depth: 5 cm Weight 346 g Condition The box is in excellent condition with minimal signs of wear, consistent with careful storage; no chips, cracks, or significant scratches are present, and the lacquer surface retains its original deep gloss.