Owan Set of Five Wajima Owan with Peony Chinkin

Wajima on the Noto Peninsula stands for lacquerware made to last for decades: there, the lacquer is laid over a ground containing calcined siliceous earth from the surrounding area, which makes the vessels particularly durable. The five lidded bowls of this set come from this tradition, as the inscription on the wooden box shows.

The wooden bowls are lacquered in a strong vermilion and stand on tall feet set off in black. On each lid blooms a large peony whose leaves and petals are executed in chinkin: the lines are engraved into the hardened lacquer and filled with gold, a technique regarded as Wajima's specialty. A plum branch in maki-e completes the motif; inside, the bowls and lids are lacquered black.

Each bowl measures about 12 cm in diameter and 8 cm in height and weighs around 168 g. The set dates from the Heisei period, is nearly unused and comes in its wooden box – festive tableware for New Year, guests and special occasions.