㉒ISOYA Akira, Chest, floral pattern, maki-e

This sturdy chest features a strongly linear design. The doors are decorated with vines depicted in silver maki-e, their flowers and buds rendered in gold maki-e and vermillion lacquer. Isoya Akira was a gifted modernist artist who pursued an innovative approach to craft in the early Showa era (1926-1989). This work, produced when he was in his twenties, reflects a youthful sensibility, with elements such as the door handles showing the influence of Art Deco while the overall composition is distinctly geometric.