Tokusen Suimono Bowl Matsu — a lidded clear-soup bowl with pine in fine red lines and gold-leaf diamonds

Why this bowl

This is Marusan Shikki's tokusen, or special selection, soup bowl in the pine design: a lidded bowl made for suimono, the clear soups served at a Japanese meal, and for delicate simmered dishes that call for a smaller, upright shape. It stands a little taller than it is wide, so it takes up less room at the table than the Hidehira bowls, and the lid keeps the soup warm until everyone is seated.

The pattern

Hidehira-nuri is a lacquer tradition from near Hiraizumi in Iwate, built on gold leaf and hand-painted motifs over a lacquer ground. On this bowl, cloud-shaped panels of reddish-brown lacquer carry a lattice of gold-leaf diamonds, with a larger gold diamond crossed at the centre of each panel. Around them, pine branches and drifting clouds are drawn in fine red lines on the black ground. This linework is the demanding part: the lines are so fine that a single slip means starting the whole decoration over. A band of gold leaf runs around the rim and another around the foot.

How it is made

The bowl is turned from mizume (Japanese cherry birch) to a very thin wall. It was developed by Aoyagi Saburo, a certified traditional craftsman at Marusan Shikki who trained at the prefectural lacquer institute in Wajima, Ishikawa, and that training is why this bowl carries the hard jinoko ground particular to Wajima-nuri. The ground takes a long time to build up and cure before the colour coats go on, which is part of what makes this a special-selection piece. The diamonds and bands are gold leaf, not gold paint.

The workshop

Marusan Shikki has worked in Hidehira-nuri since 1904, from a workshop in Ichinoseki now in its fifth generation.

What to know before you buy

As with any urushi lacquerware, wash by hand in lukewarm water with a mild detergent, and keep it away from the microwave and dishwasher. For the first two to three months, start with lukewarm rather than very hot food or drink so the lacquer settles in gradually. Dry with a soft cloth, skip long soaking, and store away from direct sunlight.

Details

Sold as a single bowl with its lid. It measures W108 × D108 × H120 mm, holds about 410 ml, and weighs about 170g. Made to order and shipped from Japan via DHL, with a lead time of approximately two months.

If your table could use one lidded bowl for clear soups and small simmered dishes, you can order it below. Any questions on sizing or care are welcome; we read and answer every message ourselves.