Makie tray with decorations of noshi and young pine trees

A lacquered tray with an intricate makie (“sprinkled picture”) design demonstrating the sure technique of Ogawa Shomin, who was chosen to be the first instructor in the lacquer department established simultaneously with the founding of the Tokyo Fine Arts School.

The keyaki (zelkova) wood tray has been covered with black lacquer, over which a design of dried sea-ear, young pine, sword bean leaves, and flowers has been rendered in gold flat makie and gold and silver low-raised makie and walnuts have been rendered in gold high-raised makie. A poem has been written on the surface by gold flat makie, while the back of the tray is finished in nashiji (pear-skin) lacquer. It is an excellent example of the superb traditional techniques of Ogawa Shomin, who showed a fine talent for making copies of old lacquerware.
Ogawa Shomin, born Ogawa Shigejiro, studied makie under Nakayama Komin and painting under Ikeda Koson. He studied the classics enthusiastically, making copies of many famous masterpieces, including works from the Shosoin repository, at the request of the Department of Museums of the Japanese government. In addition, he was a member of the Ryuchikai, an association which involved itself with the appreciation of antique art and the study of its designs. Winning awards at the first to third Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai (Domestic Industrial Expositions) and also serving as juror, he exhibited in the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876 and the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1878. Based on these accomplishments, he was hired by the Tokyo Fine Arts School in July 1890 and there built the foundations of the lacquer department. In May of the following year, however, he died because of illness. As this tray shows, Ogawa is also said to have enjoyed haiku poetry. (Writer : Hiroko Yokomizo Source : Selected Masterpieces from The University Art Museum, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music: Grand Opening Exhibition, The University Art Museum, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 1999)