Tea Tray
Keura Sumi L

Gato Mikio

SKU
5349
A large circular obon tea tray with raised edges, hand-turned from a single piece of wood and coated in black urushi lacquer. Made by Gato Mikio, an award-winning Japanese woodworking atelier with over a hundred years' history, based in Yamanaka Onsen: an area long renowned for its fine lacquerware.
 
Contents Black lacquered tea tray
Studio Gato Mikio
Origin Yamanaka, Ishikawa, Japan
Dimensions Ø30 x 5cm
Material Kalopanax septemlobus
Finish Polyurethane
Artist's mark Brand logo on base
€199.90

Delivery : 1–3 business days

Incl. VAT, excl. shipping

SKU
5349
In stock

Gato Mikio 我戸幹男

In 1908, master woodturner Komakichi Gato founded his woodworking plant in Yamanaka Onsen – an area with a rich history of making kiji: the plain wooden vessels on which urushi lacquers are applied. Now in their fourth generation, GATO MIKIO is committed to preserving Yamanaka lacquerware traditions by carefully adapting them to modern life. Working in collaboration with contemporary Japanese product designers, GATO MIKIO's international award-winning tableware elegantly marries the past to the present.

The KEURA collection is designed together with Satoshi Umeno. Meaning beauty and elegance, the name Keura is taken from a quote in the ancient Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, in which the protagonist, Princess Kaguya, is discovered as a baby inside a glowing stalk of bamboo. Accordingly the collection is straight and slender like bamboo, taking simplicity to the limits to ensure a soft touch.

Urushi 漆

Used for thousands of years in Japan to coat objects from crockery to furniture and buildings, urushi is the purified sap of the Asian lacquer tree. When dry, the lacquer is both heat and water resistant, providing protection and strength to underlying materials, very often wood, but also bamboo, paper or leather. In Japanese lacquerware itself can be referred to as urushi as well as shikki (lit. “urushi vessel”), and with the development of acrylic resin in the last century, objects coated in synthetic lacquers, such as food-safe polyurethane, are considered urushi/shikki too. Pure urushi is transparent, while the black and red lacquers most associated with urushi are achieved with the addition of mineral pigments. Over this traditional decorative details such as gold maki-e “sprinkled pictures” or raden “shell inlay” can also be applied.

Yamanaka Shikki 山中漆器

Produced in the Yamanaka Onsen hot spring district of Kaga city, Ishikawa prefecture, Yamanaka lacquerware dates back to around 1580, with the arrival of a group of woodworkers from nearby Echizen, who specialised in the art of hikimono-kiji – turning wood on a lathe. The goods they produced were sold as souvenirs to onsen tourists, and the area became known for its fine lacquerware, particularly its tea ceremony accessories. Yamanaka shikki is characterised by round utensils with transparent lacquers that highlight the natural beauty of the wood grain, as well as kashokubiki (加飾挽き) literally "decorative lathing", a unique engraving technique that first began to appear at the end of the Edo period (1615-1868).

Care

Before and after use, wipe down the obon with a soft cloth, slightly dampened and with a mild detergent if necessary. Do not soak and wipe off any spillages as soon as possible to prevent water stains. After cleaning, thoroughly dry with a soft cloth and leave to dry naturally. Urushi lacquers prefer a relatively humid environment and may crack if stored in extremely dry conditions, therefore please use and clean lacquerware occasionally so that it can absorb moisture from the air and a damp cleaning cloth.

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