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Matcha natsume Hana-ikada 花筏 Saijō Issai

Matcha natsume Hana-ikada 花筏 Saijō Issai

€349,00 EUR
€349,00 EUR
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An exceptional ōnatsume (大棗) by the Japanese master lacquer artist Saijō Issai (最上一斎), titled Flower Raft (花筏 / Hana-ikada). The motif depicts cherry blossoms (sakura) gliding across the water like a floating raft, a classic symbol from Japanese poetry that portrays the transience of beauty and the rhythm of the seasons.

Motif

The deep black lacquer ground is rich and glossy, with golden maki-e lines winding around the form like currents. Warm red-gold tones flow across the lid, as if the light of spring plays upon the water. The exquisite balance of color, line, and sheen demonstrates Issai’s complete mastery of traditional urushi art.

Symbolism

In Japanese aesthetics, Hana-ikada primarily represents transience. Cherry blossoms bloom briefly and exuberantly; when the petals detach and drift away, the swift passage of beauty becomes evident. Yet, the image is not somber: the fallen petals remain beautiful in their movement, showing that a new form of beauty emerges precisely in the ephemeral.

The motif also marks the transition of seasons. In classical poetry, it is considered a spring image that subtly indicates the passage of time. Simultaneously, it evokes a sense of connection: individual petals together form a floating pattern, just as people meet and part again.

Object details

  • Maker: Saijō Issai (最上一斎, born 1937, Osaka)
  • Title: Flower Raft Ōnatsume (花筏大棗)
  • Technique: Maki-e (lacquer decoration with gold powder)
  • Material: Lacquered wood (urushi)
  • Diameter: ≈ 7 cm
  • Height: ≈ 7 cm
  • Condition: Excellent.
  • Accessories: Original tomobako with inscription 花筏 and Saijō Issai's seal 

Signature and maker

Saijō Issai (born 1937, Osaka; real name 奥津義峰 Okutsu Yoshimine) is a Japanese master of maki-e lacquerware. He learned the craft from his father Okutsu Yōhō (奥津洋方) and became active in the tradition of fine urushi work from the 1950s onwards. From the 1960s, he was repeatedly selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition (日本伝統工芸展) and its regional Kinki section. In 1989, he was appointed director of the Osaka Crafts Association (大阪工芸協会) and received several awards for cultural and craftsmanship merit (including the Osaka Prefecture Cultural Merit Award in 1993). His studio is located in Nara, where he continues his work in the spirit of refined tea ceremony aesthetics and classical Japanese design.

Magical spectacle

The floating cherry blossoms on the water come alive in Japan in places where blossoms gather to form a soft, moving carpet. Along the Meguro River, petals glide like a pink river under bridges; at the Chidorigafuchi Moat , an almost picturesque reflection of falling sakura emerges around the Imperial Palace's water; at Hikawa Shrine , blossoms swirl through the serene shrine environment and collect in still pools; and in Kawagoe, with its historic streets and canals, a calmer, almost nostalgic image of hana-ikada unfolds. Everywhere, it revolves around that fleeting moment when the blossoms detach, touch the water, and transform into a living painting, typically in the last week of March to early April in Tokyo and a few days later in Saitama, peaking three to five days after full bloom when falling blossoms set the water's surface in gentle motion.

 

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