Kanshitsu Tray Imitating Sahari Bronze by Rakuzen II YAMADA

A round tray (bon) in dry lacquer with a broad, gently sloping rim and a shallow well, made to imitate sahari, the bronze alloy prized for Buddhist and tea utensils. Its mottled olive-brown ground is clouded with ochre and darker patches and scattered with fine metallic flecks, recreating the uneven patina of aged metal. The surface is finely scratched to heighten the sense of age, and the slightly irregular rim adds to the impression of a cast metal vessel. The tray is accompanied by its tomobako, inscribed on the lid with the technique and object, and signed and sealed on the inside of the lid.

YAMADA Rakuzen II (b. 1915), born Yamada Yutaka, specialised in dry lacquer (kanshitsu). He studied in the lacquer department of the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts and then trained under his father, Rakuzen I, carrying the family's dry lacquer tradition into a second generation.