Box, Wajima lacquer, Nishizuka Chōkō I (1888–1976)

Wajima lacquer box decorated with two quails among millets, by Nishizuka Chōkō I (西塚朝光, 1888–1976).

This box, probably intended for storing tea ceremony items, combines raised maki-e work, mother-of-pearl inlays, and, much more rarely, two quails rendered in applied enameled ceramic.

It constitutes a particularly interesting example of the revival of Japanese lacquer in the 20th century, combining decorative tradition, technical virtuosity, and artistic exploration.

Description

The lid features a refined composition of two quails moving among grasses, probably susuki or millet, a classic autumn theme in Japanese decorative arts. This decoration extends onto the base of the box, creating a continuous design, a testament to great pictorial mastery.

The background is treated with nashiji at different intensities, creating a vibrant, almost atmospheric surface that animates the entire scene. The grasses unfold in a play of textures (lacquer painted with gold lacquer and black and dark gray lacquer with a mosaic effect) and rhythms, while the birds, modeled in enameled ceramic with added mother-of-pearl to give the eyes their shine, bring an unusual sculptural presence to the Wajima lacquer composition.

The interior is covered with large irregular squares of gold leaf, producing a fragmented and precious effect, very characteristic of an object conceived as a piece of grand decoration as much as an object for daily use.

The whole is preserved in its tomobako signed Chōkō saku (朝光作).

Nishizuka Chōkō I (1888–1976)

Nishizuka Chōkō I, or Nishizuka Chōkō (西塚朝光), was a lacquer artist active in Wajima in the early and mid-20th century. He belongs to the generation of artisans who continued the most demanding technical traditions of Wajima-nuri while adapting their decorative language to a modern sensibility. Works signed 朝光 are known on the Japanese and Western markets, particularly suzuribako, objects related to the tea ceremony, and decorative pieces with naturalistic subjects.

His work is part of a context of very high-level craftsmanship, where mastery of maki-e, inlays, and surface effects remained fundamental. In Nishizuka Chōkō's work, this tradition opened up to a more artistic exploration, visible in the relief, the density of the backgrounds, and the taste for contrasting materials.

The Wajima lacquer tradition

Wajima lacquer, produced on the Noto Peninsula, is one of Japan's most renowned. Wajima-nuri is distinguished by the complexity of its manufacturing process, the use of local earth powder in the preparatory layers, and the successive intervention of several specialists. This technical demand results in objects of great solidity and remarkable surface depth.

From the late 19th century and especially during the 20th century, Wajima workshops participated in a movement to renew Japanese decorative arts. Without abandoning traditional subjects, they explored new effects of material, relief, and inlay, producing objects where formal invention became an essential element.

Between Rimpa heritage and 20th-century modernity

This box, in several aspects, is part of the aesthetic heritage of the Rinpa school. The taste for seasonal motifs, the value given to contrasts between dark flat areas and luminous surfaces, as well as the decorative treatment of flora, refer to this major tradition of Japanese arts. The composition favors visual impact, the stylization of rhythm, and the preciousness of materials, all elements that fall within a deeply decorative spirit.

But this work is not limited to a survival of the Rimpa taste. It also demonstrates the revival of Japanese lacquer in the 20th century. The pronounced relief, the presence of cut mother-of-pearl, and especially the exceptional integration of enameled ceramic quails show a desire for experimentation while reappropriating ancient techniques. This rare hybridization between tradition and invention places the box at a moment when Japanese craftsmanship sought to renew its vocabulary without breaking with its heritage.

Why this box is important

This unique work stands out for the quality of its execution, the originality of its technical combination, and the tactile strength of its decoration. It is interesting both for the history of Japanese lacquer, for the study of Wajima-nuri in the 20th century, and for collectors sensitive to objects where Japanese decorative tradition extends into a form of silent modernity.

Dimensions: width 28 cm; depth 23 cm; height 15.5 cm.