Paperblanks Ougi Lined Hardcover Journal

In the "Maki-e" tradition, lacquerware is created by painting tree sap onto treasured objects and sprinkling them with metallic powder, such as gold, silver or copper, to create luxurious designs. Showcasing foliage and a turtle family, this Paperblanks Ougi journal features the image of an antique 19th-century Japanese lacquer box selected from a private collection in Kyoto.

The ingenuity and grace of the ancient craft of lacquerware are celebrated in this design. It portrays a masterful example of a 19th-century Japanese lacquer box made during the Edo or Meiji period and currently held in a private collection in Kyoto. The original box is lacquered in the Maki-e tradition, in which sap from the lacquer tree is sprinkled with metallic powder, such as gold, silver or copper. Over the centuries, craftspeople learned to use this sap, which hardens to a brilliant, glossy coating, as a finish to decorate and protect favoured wood and paper objects. These fine lacquered surfaces are evidence of the uniquely human ability to create beauty from unlikely sources.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.