Kogai with Seashore Cottage Design, Mumei

寸法

全長20.42センチ　幅12.4ミリ

Accessories

桐箱

Weight

重さ28.7グラム

As written by the shop

Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors · Show original

The Kaihin Boyaku-zu (seaside thatched cottage motif) depicts a life lived in harmony with nature through a simple dwelling placed at the water's edge, representing a sansui theme that evokes a state of quietude removed from the bustle of the secular world. To fit a seaside landscape onto the body of a slender kogai, it is necessary to harmonize motifs of differing depths with the empty space of the sky within a limited frame, and the compositional strength itself becomes a major highlight. This work features two thatched houses arranged in the center of a sentoku base exhibiting warm color tones, surrounded by rocks, pines, and willow trees, with seigaiha-style waves encircling the left and right, and trailing clouds with two wild geese added to the upper right. The gaze is naturally guided from the village in the chikakage (foreground) toward the sky opening up beyond the waves, creating a spacious view of the seashore within the small body. The seigaiha-style arcs are linked in a kazusada (steady) rhythm, and by changing the movement of the tagane for each object—such as the branches and leaves, roofs, pillars, and rock surfaces—the textures of each part are clearly distinguished while using only metal of similar colors. The contrast between the deeply carved areas where blackness remains and the brightly polished surfaces creates shadows, and from the forms of the wild geese captured with just a few lines, one can appreciate the detailed work the closer one looks. The reverse side has no pattern, featuring a simple finish that shows the long, extending silhouette and the koshoku of the metal as they are, which complements the condensed carved scenery on the obverse. It is a deeply tasteful kogai that depicts a quiet seaside landscape using only the depth of the carving and the light and shadow of the metal without relying on flamboyant irogane, and each time it is tilted in the hand, the light and shadow shift to reveal new details. Possessing the charm of welcoming a small scenic spot every time the kiribako is opened, this is a piece combining calm dignity and depth of appreciation that I would like to see cherished for a long time by those who favor landscape designs and seaside motifs.