Wajima lacquer box by Nishizuka Chōkō I (1888–1976)

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

Probably intended to hold utensils for the tea ceremony, the box combines raised maki-e, mother-of-pearl inlay and, much more unusually, two quails modelled in applied glazed ceramic.

It is a particularly interesting example of the renewal of Japanese lacquer in the twentieth century, bringing together decorative tradition, technical virtuosity and artistic experimentation.

Description

The lid bears a refined composition of two quails moving among grasses, probably susuki or millet, a classic autumnal theme in Japanese decorative art. The decoration continues over the sides of the box, creating a continuous composition that demonstrates considerable pictorial mastery.

The ground is worked in nashiji of varying intensity, creating a vibrant, almost atmospheric surface that animates the entire scene. The grasses unfold through contrasting materials and rhythms, combining gold, black and dark-grey lacquer with a mosaic-like effect. The birds are modelled in glazed ceramic, with mother-of-pearl added to lend brilliance to the eyes, giving the composition a sculptural presence rarely encountered in Wajima lacquer.

The interior is covered with large, irregular squares of gold leaf, producing a precious, fragmented effect characteristic of an object conceived as a major decorative work as much as a functional piece.

The box retains its tomobako, signed Chōkō saku (朝光作).

Nishizuka Chōkō I (1888–1976)

Nishizuka Chōkō I, also known as Nishizuka Chōkō (西塚朝光), was a lacquer artist active in Wajima during the early and mid-twentieth century. He belonged to a generation of craftspeople 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, including suzuribako, tea-ceremony utensils and decorative pieces with naturalistic subjects.

His work belongs to a tradition of craftsmanship of the highest level, in which mastery of maki-e, inlay and surface effects remained fundamental. In Nishizuka Chōkō’s work, this tradition opened onto a more sculptural exploration, apparent in the relief, the density of the grounds and the use of contrasting materials.

The Wajima lacquer tradition

Wajima lacquer, produced on the Noto Peninsula, is among the most renowned in Japan. Wajima-nuri is distinguished by the complexity of its production process, the use of powdered local earth in the preparatory layers and the successive work of several specialists. These exacting techniques result in objects of great durability and remarkable depth of surface.

From the late nineteenth century, and especially during the twentieth, Wajima workshops participated in the renewal of Japanese decorative art. Without abandoning traditional subjects, they explored new effects of material, relief and inlay, creating works in which formal invention became essential.

Between the Rinpa legacy and twentieth-century modernity

In several respects, this box belongs to the aesthetic legacy of the Rinpa school. Its seasonal motifs, the contrasts between dark planes and luminous surfaces, and the decorative treatment of vegetation all evoke this major tradition of Japanese art. The composition favours visual impact, rhythmic stylisation and precious materials—elements rooted in a profoundly decorative spirit.

Yet the work is more than a survival of Rinpa taste. It also exemplifies the renewal of Japanese lacquer in the twentieth century. Its pronounced relief, cut mother-of-pearl and, above all, exceptional integration of glazed ceramic quails reveal a desire to experiment while reappropriating older techniques. This rare combination of tradition and invention places the box within a period when Japanese craft sought to renew its vocabulary without severing its ties to its heritage.

Why this box is important

This unique work is distinguished by the quality of its execution, the originality of its combination of techniques and the tactile strength of its decoration. It is significant both to the history of Japanese lacquer and to the study of twentieth-century Wajima-nuri, and will appeal to collectors drawn to objects in which Japanese decorative tradition extends into a quiet form of modernity.

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