Hana to Urushi LLC SKU: BJ_P_00029

Yamanaka Lacquerware Bulb: Olive

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Regular price ¥31,386
Regular price Sale price ¥31,386
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Product Details

PRODUCT DETAILS

A Quiet Bulb, Turned in Wood

A rounded wooden form rises into a slender point, giving this olive-green lacquered object the compact presence of a bulb. Lift the lid and the sculptural silhouette becomes a small two-part vessel. Made from mizume-zakura wood and finished with lacquer, it brings Yamanaka craft into a restrained contemporary form.

USE & APPRECIATION

Begin with the Closed Form

Place Bulb on a pale wooden shelf and let its olive color stand on its own. The rounded body and tapering lid introduce a compact sculptural accent without filling the surrounding space.

The closed olive-green Bulb lacquerware object standing alone on a quiet pale-wood shelf in soft daylight.

A quiet pause across the table

At the table, take a moment to enjoy Bulb before opening it. Olive lacquer and visible grain bring depth to the small form, giving a familiar daily setting a detail worth noticing.

Closed Bulb: Olive on a dark wood table with a person's hands softly out of focus in the background.

Discover the Shape Within

Lift the lid gently to discover how the closed shape divides. The rounded body becomes a vessel in its own right, inviting you to explore the lacquered interior as well as the outer curve.

Dry adult hands gently lifting the pointed olive lacquer lid above its matching small bowl on a calm table.

Compare Exterior and Interior

Rest the lid beside the body while looking at both surfaces together. The olive finish links interior and exterior, and the pale tabletop makes their curves easy to compare before bringing the parts together again.

The olive lacquer lid placed beside its matching bowl, showing the darker interior and precise two-part geometry.

Read the Surface in Indirect Light

Choose a spot with soft, indirect light for an unhurried look at Bulb. Its green lacquer shifts in depth across the curved wood, rewarding attention without needing a busy arrangement around it.

Soft indirect window light tracing the rounded olive lacquer body and slender neck of the closed Bulb object.

Connect Form with Yamanaka Craft

Enjoy Bulb as a small introduction to Yamanaka lacquerware. Whether displayed closed or opened for a closer look, its wooden form and olive finish bring the craft into an everyday room.

The closed olive lacquer Bulb object on a fine wood surface, emphasizing its rounded turned form and restrained material character.

OBJECT PASSPORT / CARE & USE

Care & Handling

Care summary for Bulb: Olive: outdoor use requires avoiding direct sunlight; prolonged submersion, hard scrubbing, dishwasher, heating appliances, refrigeration, and freezing are not permitted.

Handle both parts carefully. Keep away from prolonged submersion and direct sunlight, and avoid hard scrubbing. Dishwasher, microwave, oven, induction heating, refrigeration, and freezing are not permitted.

OBJECT PASSPORT

Product details

Dimensions
80Φ×95H mm
Material
Natural wood (mizume-zakura) Surface: lacquer finish
Product weight
60 g
Origin
Japan
Craft Heritage

CRAFT HERITAGE

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

TRADITIONAL CRAFT PROCESS

How It’s Made

About the Making Process

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.

1. Kiji (Wooden Body)
  • Zelkova and Japanese horse chestnut are the principal woods. Each blank is cut vertically along the grain to minimize warping.
  • The craftsperson shapes the wood on a lathe using handmade kanna and other turning tools. Advanced decorative turning may add sensuji grooves or zogan inlay.
2. Shitaji (Foundation)
  • A mixture of lacquer and jinoko powder is applied and sanded.
  • Repeating this process strengthens the wooden body and creates a smooth surface.
3. Uwanuri (Final Lacquer Coat)
  • Black, vermilion, or another lacquer is applied with a brush.
  • The final coat is applied with great care to prevent even the finest airborne dust from settling on the surface.
4. Maki-e
  • Gold, silver, or other metal powder is sprinkled over motifs drawn in lacquer.
  • Subjects range from traditional designs and scenes of nature to geometric patterns, creating a finely detailed decorative finish.
Meet the Maker

MEET THE MAKER

Meet the Maker

MAKER · YAMANAKA, ISHIKAWA

Yamanaka Lacquerware, Seen Through a Floral Eye

YUIYU brings together the perspective of floral design and the accumulated skills of Yamanaka lacquerware. The brand explores organic forms inspired by nature and new possibilities in color through wooden lacquerware for contemporary interiors and daily life.

Portrait of a smiling woman in a white blouse.
Naoko Tanabe, Connecting Flowers and Craft

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.

Many Hands, One Object

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’s lacquerware takes shape through this collaboration among specialist craftspeople.

Techniques passed down in Yamanaka lacquerware include rokuro-biki, or lathe turning, which shapes the wood; sensuji, which creates fine grooves on a rotating surface; and fuki-urushi, in which lacquer is repeatedly applied and wiped back to reveal the wood grain. These techniques reflect specialist knowledge of wood and lacquer, together with the careful judgment of craftspeople.

Tradition as a Living Relationship

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.

Shipping Information

Shipping to the United States

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

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.

Shipping charges

Enter your delivery address at checkout to review the available delivery option, shipping charge, and complete order total before payment.

Duties and import taxes

U.S. orders are shipped on a Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) basis, regardless of order value. Where duties, import taxes, or related import charges apply, the amount collected by BRAND JAPAN is shown at checkout. You should not ordinarily be asked by the carrier to pay those charges again upon delivery. If a carrier requests an unexpected import payment, do not pay it immediately; contact us with your order number and the carrier's notice.

Damage or incorrect delivery

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.

Questions? Email store@brand-japan.ne.jp. Support hours are Monday–Friday, 10:00–18:00 Japan Standard Time, excluding Japanese public holidays.