Chrysanthemum Band in Gold

Chrysanthemums unfold across the black lacquer in a continuous band of gold. Moving along the surface, the composition brings together blossoms at different stages of bloom, each surrounded by finely worked leaves and petals. The decoration is rendered in chinkin, a technique in which designs are carved into the lacquer surface before gold leaf and gold powder are set into the incised lines. Here, Takade Eiji varies the depth, direction, and density of each cut to give definition to individual petals and leaves. The polished black surface is finished in the tradition of Wajima lacquerware, built up through successive layers of lacquer before the chinkin decoration is applied. Against this deep black, the gold reveals the intricacy of the carving with striking clarity. Rather than treating each section separately, the band continues vertically across the stacked form. Individual flowers are framed within each section, yet together they form a single composition, linking the surfaces through one uninterrupted field of chrysanthemums.