Makie Box "Trip to the Moon"

"I used black lacquer to resemble pitch black space. The design of this makie box is earth seen from the moon.
I expressed the earth using blue lacquer and egg shells. I expressed moon craters with silver powder on the sides of the box.
Seeing wealthy people around the world travel to space and various countries planning moon landing on the news, I feel that humans have a longing for space and a desire to explore it.
So I decided to go on a trip to space by making this piece.
Seeing the earth floating in pitch black space from the moon was a journey of creation that allowed me to rediscover Mother Earth."

• Maki-e

  Maki-e (literally “sprinkled pictures”) is a representative lacquerware technique that originated in Japan around 1,200 years ago. Maki-e is done by painting lacquer motifs on the surface of a piece using a fine brush and then sprinkling gold powder onto the lacquer before it hardens, producing luxurious decorations.

• Mother-of-pearl inlay (Raden)

  Mother-of-pearl inlay (Raden) is a decorative technique that uses the iridescent inner layer of abalone shell, turban shell, pearl oyster shell, or other mollusk shells. The technique came to Japan from China 1,300 years ago, and pieces featuring mother-of-pearl inlay are included among the artifacts at the Shōsōin Repository in Nara.

• Eggshell inlay

  Eggshell inlays (rankaku) are created by applying finely crushed eggshells to painted lacquer motifs. The eggshells make it possible to create vivid whites, a color that is difficult to reproduce with colored lacquer. Normally, the shells of quail eggs are used.