Ippyōsai VII (*1942)

Excellent tea caddy (natsume) made by the 7th Ippyōsai, Ippyō Eizō (*1942). The exterior is finished in polished black lacquer (roiro) and decorated in gold maki-e with an all-over pattern of maple leaves and cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms are executed in either gold or red lacquer, while the maple leaves are executed in gold maki-e with fine veins. Some of the leaves appear to have a slight greenish tint and may be made of a material called aokin, an alloy of gold and silver. The interior and base are coated with silver. The rims are painted gold.

The combination of cherry blossoms and maple leaves can be traced back to a compositions of the famous Kyoto ceramic artist Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743). Kenzan created the composition based on a poem about the Tatsuta River from the poem anthology Kokin Wakashū (ca. 905), in which the poet compares fallen autumn leaves floating on the river's water to gold brocade and the cherry blossoms of the Yoshino Hills to white snow flakes. The unusual composition combines symbols of both, spring and autumn while evoking two famous landscapes of Japan (meisho).  

Ippyō Eizō was the 7th generation of one of the leading families of lacquer masters in Kyōto. He studied under his father, Ippyōsai VI (1908-2001) and Shimizuya Kōmin. Ippyōsai VII is particularly known for his excellent ability to create complex compositions on the three-dimensional space of a natsume tea caddy. His workshop is currently run by the 8th Ippyōsai, his daughter Ippyō Ryō.