| Description |
Small, shallow Odawara lacquerware bowl carved from single piece of wood and covered in lacquer; Square shape with corners trimmed to create a rounded octagon; Bowl has slightly downward-sloping sides, and straight-edged rim; No identifying markings. Odawara lacquerware is a government-designated traditional craft from the city of Odawara, that can be traced back to the mid-Muromachi Period (1338-1573); The Odawara style of lacquerware allows the beauty of the underlying wood to clearly shine through by rubbing lacquer into wood that has been shaved using a potter’s wheel, followed by lacquer painting methods that make use of the coarse wood grains; Using these methods, the grain is not covered, and can be seen in its genuine form; Odawara lacquerware does not feature ornate designs and vivid coloring, but emphasizes the raw beauty of the wood grain. |
