Vintage Japanese Lacquered tea caddy Natsume with Gold Makie of Kiri Mon #5407

width: approx. 6.6cm (2 19⁄32in)
height: approx. 7cm (2 3⁄4in)
weight: 45g (w/ box 125g)
condition: small damage in lid

This is a Japanese lacquered tea caddy (natsume) crafted by Maebata Shunsai, a lacquer and makie artist from Ishikawa Prefecture. The surface is adorned with gold makie featuring the kiri mon (paulownia crest), a traditional emblem associated with nobility and authority. The black lacquer body serves as a striking background for the meticulously applied gold motifs, which repeat elegantly across the lid and body. The interior is finished in nashiji, a refined pear-skin lacquer technique. The Maebata Shunsai lineage has continued through three generations, each trained by their predecessor and under prominent lacquer masters such as Murata Dōkan and Yasutani Bisei. Their works have been featured in exhibitions and tea gatherings led by prominent tea masters including Hikita Sōya and the Urasenke school. This piece comes with a brocade pouch and a signed wooden box, indicating its role as a formal tea ceremony implement.