A butterfly drifts lazily agiant the blue sky on this rainbow sided Kogo incense case by Otomaru Jun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kuro Ageha Kogo dating circa 2000. Blending the traditional carved lacquer technique of Sanuki-bori, inherited from his father, with his own painterly motifs, Otomaru created works that fuse classical Japanese lacquer art with a modern sensibility. His refined style earned him acclaim both in Japan and abroad. It is 7 cm (3 inches) diameter, 2.3 cm (1 inch) thick and in excellent condition, enclosed in a silk pouch.
Otomaru Jun, (1929-2005) was born the third son of future Living National Treasure Otomaru Kodō in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. He studied lacquer techniques under his father from an early age. He was first accepted into the Nitten exhibition in 1951 and went on to be selected four more times before graduating from the Department of Crafts at the Tokyo Fine Arts School, after which he pursued further study in Italy at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. Upon his return to Japan, he exhibited at the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition in 1960, later receiving the Chairman’s Prize and the Prince Takamatsu Memorial Prize. His achievements were further recognized with the Imperial Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1984 and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, in 1999.
