A set of five lacquered wooden plates decorated with a spray of red bamboo accented with gold flake by Hattori Shunsho in shimmering dark lacquer enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Matsudame-nuri Shuchiku Me-me Zara. Tame-nuri They are 18 cm (7 inches) diameter, 4 cm (over 1 inch) tall each and in excellent condition.
Matsudame-nuri is a traditional Japanese lacquer technique belonging to the broader category of tamenuri (layered transparent lacquer finishes). In this method, a base coat of vermilion or another colored lacquer is applied, over which layers of highly transparent lacquer are built up. The result is a luminous amber tone, reminiscent of caramelized sugar, with a deep and mellow sheen. Because the translucent layers allow the underlying lacquer color, wood grain, and surface texture to show through, the finish creates subtle variations and a richness of tone at once radiant and serene.
Hattori Shunshō (1943–2018) was born in Kyoto, and studied under leading lacquer masters Uehara Kiyoshi and Banura Shōgo. In 1963, he was first accepted into the Nitten Exhibition, marking the beginning of a distinguished career. He continued to exhibit his work at Nitten and other prestigious exhibitions, earning many accolades. He refined his skills by traveling across Europe, the United States, China, and South Korea. From 1970 to 1978, he was an active member of Forme, a collective of young Kyoto-based lacquer artists. Until the 1980s, his work primarily consisted of two-dimensional lacquer panels. However, he later shifted his focus toward crafting decorative shelves and boxes. His signature style—incorporating the iridescent brilliance of raden (mother-of-pearl, particularly yōgai)—became a defining feature of his later works. In 1995 (Heisei 7), he had an audience with Pope John Paul II and presented him with a lacquered bookstand. In 2004, he created furnishings for the state guest room of the Kyoto State Guest House. At the time of his passing, he served as a counselor for Nitten, an executive director of the Nikko Association, and a member of the Kyoto Prefectural Craft Artists’ Association, the Kyoto Lacquer Artists’ Association, and Sōkōkai.
Public Collections: Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto City Kyocera Museum, Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Musuem, Kyoto International Foundation, Chanoyu museum (Hida Takayama), Sunritz Hattori Museum of Arts, Denver Art Museum.
