Lacquered wooden matcha bowl / "Také" in Yamanaka lacquer makié

Black lacquered wooden matcha bowl with makie bamboo pattern made by Kashô Yoshita (1940-), lacquer craftsman in Yamanaka, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Bamboo, an essential plant in Japanese life, is a highly auspicious symbol. Its upward growth, with rapid and vigorous expansion, represents nobility and strength. When cut, bamboo splits straight and hollow inside, signifying an honest nature with nothing to hide. This plant is also a symbol of purity, eternity, and immortality, as it remains green even under the snow during the cold winter.
Makie is a technique that involves painting a design, motif, or character onto the surface of a lacquered object using lacquer, then "sprinkle" (maku) it with gold, silver, or another metallic powder before it dries to fix it. It is one of the decorative techniques representative of Japanese lacquer, particularly developed and used in Japan.