A breathtaking set of bowls turned from natural bamboo nodules covered outside in shunkei Nuri and inside in velvety black by Katajiya Seibei enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating from the early 20th century. Each bowl varies slightly in size dut to the nature of haing been turned from bamboo nodules. They are roughly 11.5 cm (4-1/2 inches) diameter, 7.5 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Katajiya Seibei was the name of a lineage of lacquer masters active in Kyoto from the early Edo period through the early Shōwa era. The founder was said to be the second son of a Kyoto lacquer master working in the Karasuma area. The name Katajiya (literally “firm ground”) derives from kataji, referring to a technique of undercoating in lacquerwork. They were known as lacquerers of the Matsuo school. In Kan’ei 16 (1639), the second son of Katajiya Seibei entered the service of the Matsue domain at their request, becoming the head lacquer master there under the name Kojima Seibei. The lineage continued until the early Shōwa period, when it came to an end. Its peak activity occurred from the late Edo through the Meiji era
