Issou Wakasa Nuri Chopstick and Rest Set, Black Cat and Camellia

At a glance

- Wakasa nuri (若狭塗) lacquerware, Ishida, Obama, Fukui Prefecture; a craft over 400 years old
- Black cat and camellia design; the camellia stands for unpretentious elegance, the black cat for bringing good fortune, a classic pairing in Japanese design
- Chopsticks 23cm; presented in a paulownia (kiri) wood gift box; chopstick rest is dishwasher safe

A black cat reaches up on its hind legs, batting at three camellia blooms just out of paw's reach, a small, playful scene worked onto the tip of each chopstick. The camellia stands for unpretentious elegance, and the cat, black rather than any other colour, carries the job of bringing good fortune along with it, a pairing that has been used in Japanese design for exactly that reason.

Wakasa nuri (若狭塗) lacquerware has been made in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, for over 400 years, using a technique that builds up dozens of layers of lacquer, sometimes inlaid with eggshell or gold leaf, then polished back to reveal a marbled pattern beneath the surface. Ishida's Issou (一双) line applies that same patient layering to a chopstick and rest pair, presented together in a paulownia (kiri) wood box, the material Japan has long trusted to protect fine and delicate things.