Lacquer box by Yamamoto Satoshi

A square lacquer box with sleeve cover, the slightly bowed top and the sides of both box and cover are inlaid in raden technique with neatly arranged mother-of-pearl bands that together form a checkerboard pattern. The silver-coloured pattern is inlaid into a glossy green ground.  The inside of both box and cover is covered in a layer of gold flecks in the nashiji technique.  The base is lacquered black.  The piece is contained within the original wooden tomobako, the top of which is inscribed Ginsen raden kobako, koshi (A small box in Raden inlay with silver lines, with a design of lattice) and the inside Showa gojukyu-nen shoshu, kinoe-ne, Nanto shikko, Satoshi saku (Made in the early autumn of Showa 59 (1984), in the year of kinoe-ne, a lacquer artist in Nanto (Nara), made by Satoshi).  The two legible seals in red read Furoka (eternal youth flower) and Yamamoto Satoshi.  The third seal is undeciphered.

The artist Yamamoto Satoshi was born in Ikoma City, Nara prefecture. He is known for his raden (shell inlay) works.  In 1977 he graduated from the philosophy department of the Kwansei Gakuin University. He studied lacquer raden art in Nara under Tarui Yoshiyuki, an artist who is known for his raden works. In 1981 Yamamoto Satoshi became an independent artist and started exhibiting at the Kinki region branch of the Nihon kogeiten.  He received many awards, including the Tanko Biennale Tea Art Exhibition.  His works were exhibited at the Japan Crafts Art Association Exhibitions (Nihon kogeikai tenrankai) numerous times since Heisei 5th (1993).  He took part in a restoration project at the Kasuga shrine in Nara.

昭和时代/山本哲制棋盘纹漆

此盒方形，袖盖，外部通体以军绿色为地，其上以细长螺钿为线而嵌成棋盘纹；其内部以黑漆髹成，漆面光滑平整。山本哲生于日本山驹市，长于大漆螺钿工艺。其1977年毕业于关西学院大学哲学系，后赴奈良师从日本螺钿漆艺大师樽井喜之习艺。自1981年山本独立门户至今，其作品参展、获奖无数，其中便包括日本天奥（Tanko）茶艺双年展大奖。山本还曾参与春日大社的修复工作。