A CRAFTED LACQUER SMITH'S RESERVOIR BOWL JAPAN, SHOWA PERIOD

with deep rounded sides supported on a short splayed foot, covered overall with layers red and black lacquer, with a pronounced drip of red lacquer running from the rim down the exterior
34.6 cm, 13 5/8 in.

Provenance:
Created in the first half of the 20th century, these bowls were a by-product of lacquer production as the craftsmen in the lacquer-making town of Kitakata in Fukushima Prefecture would place each day's application of lacquer in small lacquer bowls such as the current one. Over time, as these implements accumulated with copious layers of viscous texture and colourful drips, their initial utilitarian function diminished.