⑦KASHIMA Ikkoku, Water container, with inlaid motifs of spider-worts, silver and shibuichi

A design of spider-worts is rendered on a silver base metal using nunome-zogan (lilt. “cloth-pattern inlay”), with lead and gold inlaid. Nunome-zogan is a decorative technique in which fine vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines are cut into a metal surface with a chisel, producing a texture reminiscent of woven cloth. Thin sheets of metal are then hammered into these grooves using a wooden mallet. In this work, flowers and leaves of similar size take on varying shades of gray and gold. The misty silver tone of the base metal evokes the delicate swaying of spider-worts in the wind.