Item Description This is a black lacquer natsume (tea caddy) created by Japanese maki-e lacquer artist 藤原昭二 Fujiwara Shoji (b. 1964), who is known for his gold maki-e decorated natsume produced for the Japanese tea ceremony. The lid interior is decorated in gold maki-e with a pine tree growing on a rocky bank beside a stylised river or wave pattern, set against a softly shaded mountain landscape rendered in gold and silver powder. The inner rim of the caddy body carries a band of gold maki-e birds in flight, evoking a classical autumn or travelling-bird motif often seen in traditional Japanese lacquerware. The exterior of the body and lid is finished in a deep black lacquer with an all-over textured, comb-brushed "wave" pattern (uzura-nuri/kawari-nuri style surface texture), giving the piece a tactile, subtly reflective quality that contrasts with the polished gold maki-e interior. Natsume are cylindrical lidded containers traditionally used to store and dispense matcha (powdered green tea) during the tea ceremony. Beyond their practical use, they are appreciated as objects of fine lacquer craftsmanship and are often collected individually as decorative art pieces. Size Height: 7.5 cm Width: 7.5 cm Depth: 7.5 cm Weight 64 g Condition The caddy has been visually inspected and is in overall good condition, consistent with a lacquerware piece of this type. The gold maki-e decoration on the lid interior and rim remains crisp and well preserved. The textured black lacquer exterior shows only minor handling marks; no cracks, losses, or repairs were observed. Artist Profile Fujiwara Shoji (b. 1964) is a Japanese maki-e lacquer artist specialising in natsume tea caddies decorated with gold maki-e for use in the tea ceremony. His work is characterised by a refined balance between richly detailed gold maki-e interiors, often depicting classical landscape and nature motifs, and boldly textured lacquer exteriors, a combination that highlights both traditional decorative technique and a distinctive contemporary sensibility within the maki-e craft. Additional Information Artist: Fujiwara Shoji (b. 1964), Japanese maki-e lacquer artist specialising in gold maki-e natsume for the tea ceremony. Material: Lacquer (urushi) on wood base, decorated with gold maki-e. Origin: Japan. 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.