Long Shoehorn, Dragonfly & Floral, 67.5cm

At a glance

• 67.5cm length lets you put on shoes while remaining upright
• Dragonfly and floral decoration turns a practical object into something worth leaving on display
• Lightweight bamboo core is finished in deep black urushi lacquer

Most shoehorns are designed to disappear into a cupboard. This one earns a place by the door.

At 67.5cm long, it reaches comfortably to the heel while you remain standing, avoiding the need to crouch each time you put on your shoes. The bamboo core keeps the long form relatively light and easy to handle.

Against the deep black lacquer, a dragonfly and floral motif gives the slender form a detail that reveals itself more clearly at close range. The dragonfly has long been an auspicious motif in Japan, traditionally known as kachimushi — the “victory insect” — and associated with forward movement and determination.

That decoration matters because this is an object likely to remain visible. Rather than looking purely utilitarian beside the entrance, the black urushi surface and patterned handle give it the presence of a small piece of lacquerware in its own right.

The shoehorn is made within the Echizen lacquerware tradition of Fukui, a craft whose history in the Sabae area extends back around 1,500 years. Echizen lacquerware is known for combining durability with a refined lacquered finish.

Useful every day, but finished well enough to be noticed when it is not in use.