#09

• Title：Writing Box, floral and butterfly design in red lacquer with Chinkin

• Artist：KINJO Itei

A bunko is a lacquered box used to store personal items such as books, paper, and writing tools.

This particular box is coated with bright red lacquer and decorated using a technique called chinkin, or gold-inlay engraving.

Chinkin involves carving fine lines into the lacquer surface with a small knife, rubbing lacquer into the grooves, and then embedding gold to create the design.

Within circular frames, butterflies with spread wings are arranged in a pattern, surrounded by chrysanthemums and arabesque motifs.

The elegant, flowing lines—so smooth that it is hard to believe they were carved into a hard lacquer surface—show Kinjo’s remarkable skill.

Kinjo was not only a master of chinkin, but also excelled in painting, calligraphy, and haiku poetry. His precise craftsmanship and wide-ranging talents give this traditional work a refined and modern sensibility.

NEXT（#10 "A Okinawa (Grandchildren)" FUJITA Tsuguharu）

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