Yamanaka Lacquerware Bud: Berry
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PRODUCT DETAILSA Bud-Shaped Vessel in Berry LacquerSmall enough to rest in the palm, this Yamanaka lacquerware vessel draws its character from an organic, bud-like outline and a deep berry-red finish. The rounded-square rim shifts gently from every angle, while visible wood grain...
PRODUCT DETAILS
Small enough to rest in the palm, this Yamanaka lacquerware vessel draws its character from an organic, bud-like outline and a deep berry-red finish. The rounded-square rim shifts gently from every angle, while visible wood grain keeps the polished surface connected to its natural foundation. Its compact scale invites a deliberate place at the table.
USE & APPRECIATION
Resting in open hands, the vessel’s compact proportions become clear. The photograph also reveals the rounded-square rim, short sides, and shifting berry-red grain that define the piece from close range.

The vessel is presented in both hands with greenery beyond. Its saturated red-brown surface holds the eye, while the hand scale confirms how compact the bud-shaped form remains.

Bring Bud: Berry into a quiet meal and take time to notice the vessel between sips. Its compact form sits close to the hands, with the berry-red lacquer standing out against pale clothing and warm wood. The gently changing rim gives the familiar act of lifting a cup a distinct visual character.

Pause with the vessel in both hands and look along its softly irregular rim. Against a green shirt and the muted setting beyond, the berry-red surface becomes especially noticeable. This is a moment to enjoy the contrast between the rounded body, darker grain, and the open curve of the interior.

When sharing a meal, let the vessel's color become part of the table's conversation. Held against a cream knit, the red-brown lacquer shows its changing tones clearly. Its small scale and rounded outline invite attention without requiring a large arrangement of objects around each place setting.

Place the empty vessel on a clean, dry indoor surface and look at the transition from its rounded body to the softly squared opening. Pale stone offers a quiet backdrop for the berry-red lacquer and darker grain. Keep the arrangement simple so the outline and surface can be appreciated together.

Add the small vessel to an evening place setting with plain tableware and a neutral napkin. The deep berry color sits naturally alongside dark wood, while its rounded outline contrasts with the straight lines of chopsticks. A little space around the piece keeps its lacquered surface visible throughout the meal.

Before setting the table, view the empty vessel from slightly above to enjoy its changing outline. The opening reveals a softly squared shape within the rounded body, and the grain continues across the interior. A plain woven cloth makes a restrained background for comparing these curves and the deeper berry tones.

OBJECT PASSPORT / CARE & USE

Avoid prolonged submersion, direct sunlight, and hard scrubbers. The current record also does not permit freezing or refrigeration.
OBJECT PASSPORT
CRAFT HERITAGE
Yamanaka Lacquerware dates to the late 16th century, when a group of woodturners moved into the area in search of suitable timber and began shaping wood on lathes. The craft became established around Yamanaka Onsen.
By the middle of the Edo period, artisans were making everyday objects such as bowls and trays, as well as souvenirs for visitors to the hot-spring town. Lacquering and maki-e techniques were introduced in the early 19th century, laying the foundation for the raised Yamanaka taka-maki-e practiced today.
HOW IT’S MADE
Yamanaka Lacquerware is made through four principal stages: forming the wooden body, preparing the foundation, applying the final lacquer coat, and adding maki-e decoration.
Properly dried wood and precise turning help prevent distortion.
Although the foundation is hidden in the finished piece, it supports both the vessel's strength and the quality of the final lacquer surface.
The lacquer is built up through repeated coating and sanding, with curing carefully managed in response to humidity and weather.
MEET THE MAKER
MAKER · YAMANAKA, ISHIKAWA
YUIYU brings together the perspective of floral design and the accumulated skills of Yamanaka lacquerware. Its official concept describes organic forms learned from nature and new experiments in color, expressed as wooden lacquerware for contemporary interiors and daily life.

Naoko Tanabe is the floral designer behind YUIYU. She developed the brand to connect the traditions of Yamanaka with contemporary life, and to bring attention to the people whose work is often present in an object but absent from its story.
During the brand's development, Tanabe traveled repeatedly between Tokyo and Yamanaka Onsen. Color and form were not settled on paper alone. They were refined through prototypes and conversations with the craftspeople who understood how different woods, tools, and layers of lacquer would respond. When a color appeared uneven or brighter than intended, or a shape needed to work better in the hand, the design returned to the workshop for another round of judgment.
Yamanaka lacquerware is built through specialized work. One person may turn the wooden form on a lathe; others may refine lacquer, prepare the ground, or apply and wipe successive layers. YUIYU makes that collaboration part of the story rather than hiding it behind a single name.
Rokuro-biki, or lathe turning, gives the wood its balanced form. Fine sensuji lines may be cut into a rotating surface, creating rhythm through minute, repeated grooves. With fuki-urushi, lacquer is applied and carefully wiped back in repeated stages, allowing the grain of the wood to remain visible. The apparent simplicity of the finished object rests on a sequence of specialized decisions.
The name YUIYU repeats the Japanese character *yui*—to bind or connect. It expresses a wish to connect people, nature, culture, and the skills held in Yamanaka Onsen. The aim is not to make tradition appear modern by removing its history. It is to create a new reason for that history to remain in use: at the table, in a room, and in the rituals of everyday life.
Distance becomes smaller when the collaboration remains visible. Portraits and workshop photographs show the people and place behind YUIYU, while views of turning, sensuji carving, and fuki-urushi explain how specialist skills meet in one object. Together they make the brand’s division of labor visible without reducing the work to a single name.
We currently ship online orders to all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., including Alaska and Hawaii. U.S. territories and countries other than the United States are not currently included.
Estimated arrival is usually within 5–10 business days after payment and order confirmation. This is an estimate and not a guaranteed delivery date. Timing may vary because of the destination, carrier conditions, customs review, weather, remote-area service, or other circumstances outside our reasonable control.
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If the parcel or item arrives damaged, contact us within 48 hours of delivery. For an incorrect or incomplete order, contact us within 14 days. Keep the item, outer box, inner packaging, and shipping label, and prepare photographs showing their condition. Do not return an item until we provide instructions.
Read the full Shipping Policy for carrier, address-change, delay, and undeliverable-shipment details.
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