Vintage item, never used. A refined set of Yamanaka lacquerware 山中漆器 / 山中塗, consisting of five small lidded soup bowls (箸洗・小吸物椀) decorated with an elegant matsuba 松葉 (pine needle) motif.
Each bowl has a tall, slender form with fine horizontal turning lines around the body, finished in a deep shū-iro 朱色 / vermilion-red tone. The fitted lids create a clean, formal silhouette, while the interiors are decorated with delicate gold pine-needle designs, adding a restrained touch of elegance that is only revealed when the lid is lifted.
These vessels are traditionally known as 箸洗 (hashiarai) or 小吸物椀 (ko-suimono-wan). In Japanese formal dining and kaiseki cuisine, hashiarai refers to a small serving of delicate clear broth offered between courses. But it can also be used as tea cups in modern time.
The 松葉 (matsuba / pine needle) motif is an auspicious design in Japanese decorative arts. Because pine trees remain evergreen throughout the year and can live for a very long time, they traditionally symbolize longevity, endurance, constancy and good fortune.
Yamanaka shikki (山中漆器) originates from the Yamanaka Onsen area of present-day Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture, and is especially renowned for its skilled woodturning tradition.
The original product label identifies this particular set as 合成漆器 (composite lacquerware) with a urethane coating (ウレタン塗装) over processed natural wood (天然木加工品). This is useful information for collectors, as it distinguishes the finishing method from traditional natural urushi while retaining the form and woodworking heritage associated with Yamanaka lacquerware.
Size: 8 x 8 x 9cm (Each)
