A breathtaking sculpted small tea tray of solid lacquer polished to reveal the many layers and shades of vermilion ocher and green enclosed in a wooden collectors box tiled Tsuishu Suriage Kashi-Bon (Sweets Tray of Polished Carved Lacquer). It is 20.5 cm (8 inches) diameter, 3 cm (just more than 1 inch) tall and in excellent condition. It has been already professionally polished.
Tsuishu Suriage refers to a finish applied to works created using the tsuishu technique—thickly built up and carved lacquer—that is then carefully polished to allow the object to be “cultivated” through use, offering the pleasure of watching its surface mature and deepen with time. It is a method especially associated with Murakami Tsuishu in Niigata Prefecture. Lacquer is applied dozens, or even hundreds, of times to build up a thick surface. Once sufficient depth has been achieved, It is ground down or patterns are carved into the layered lacquer revealing the design within the accumulated strata. After lacquering is complete, the surface is polished with charcoal or charcoal powder to create a subdued, matte finish. Through this process, the object initially possesses a quiet, restrained sheen, sometimes likened to a hazy moon. With continued use, however, it gradually develops a natural gloss and increased brightness, resulting in a distinctive form of patina and aging over time.
