A Slightly Oval Lacquered Tray: Joboji Ware

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
8 1/4" x 8" x 1/4", 21 cm x 20.25 cm x 1.5 cm

This shallow, very, very slightly oval-shaped small tray is Joboji-nuri or a kind of lacquerware produced in Iwate prefecture, in the northeastern region of Japan. This type of lacquerware has an extremely long history and is said to date to the Nara era (710-794).

The fairly well-used tray is of black lacquer and it bears a boldly painted, red lacquer, eight-petaled, very stylized chrysanthemum which is rustically depicted using an economy of brushstrokes.

The tray rustic in appearance and in this characteristic there is great charm.

This is a delightful object with good age whose place of origin is a historic producer of beautiful lacquer ware and this is a good example of an old piece.

Recommended.