Matcha natsume Hana-ikada 花筏 Saijō Issai

An exceptionally refined ōnatsume (大棗) by Japanese master lacquer artist Saijō Issai (最上一斎), titled Flower Raft (花筏 / Hana-ikada). The motif depicts flower petals gliding over water like a floating raft, a classic symbol from Japanese poetry representing the transience of beauty and the rhythm of the seasons.

The deep black lacquer ground is rich and lustrous, with golden maki-e lines that meander around the form like a current. Warm reddish-gold hues flow across the lid, as if spring light were playing on water. The refined balance of color, line, and sheen demonstrates Issai's complete mastery of the traditional art of urushi.

About the creator

Saijō Issai (b. 1937, Osaka; real name 奥津義峰Okutsu Yoshimine ) is a Japanese master of maki-e lacquerware. He learned the craft from his father Okutsu Yōhō (奥津洋方) and became active in the tradition of fine urushi work from the 1950s onwards. From the 1960s onwards he was selected several times for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition (日本伝統工芸展) and its regional Kinki section. In 1989 he was appointed director of the Osaka Crafts Association (大阪工芸協会) and has received several awards for cultural and craft merit (including the Osaka Prefecture Cultural Merit Award in 1993). His studio is located in Nara, where he continues his work in the spirit of refined tea ceremony aesthetics and classical Japanese design.

Ōnatsume vs. Natsume
A natsume (棗) is the traditional tea caddy for usucha (thin matcha), named after the jujube fruit. The Ōnatsume (大棗), literally "large natsume," has a broader profile and a taller lid, intended for more formal tea ceremonies (chaji) or displays. Its larger surface area allows for finer maki-e details and emphasizes the refined balance of form and lacquer.

Context and dating

Considering the style, signature and typical quality of his later period, this work most likely falls between 1995 and 2005. It combines the mature aesthetics of his craft with the subtle poetry of the hana-ikada motif.