Incense storage box

Yamamura Shinya specializes in creating lacquer objects in sleek, modern shapes and decorating them with a variety of techniques that reflect his mastery of makie (gold and silver) and fine linear inlay of iridescent shell. This incense container exemplifies the innovative design and technical refinement that this artist expresses in lacquer.

This incense container suggests the form and luminosity of the moon. Resting on a curved base, the small open compartment for incense is completely covered by the overlapping lid, which is decorated with fine strips of iridescent turban shell carefully selected for color ranging from violet to green and set in black lacquer to form a smooth, shimmering linear pattern. The interior of the base and lid are decorated with gold makie, a decorative technique employing gold or silver powders and particles to create surface effects or pictorial designs. The underside of the base has an uneven texture created by building up lacquer and other materials before applying powdered silver that is unpolished to suggest the surface of the dark side of the moon.