An octagonal lacquer box with mandarin ducks amongst maple leaves

Japan, circa 2000

This octagonal box —possibly intended as an elegant tea or sweets container— features a pair of Mandarin ducks swimming over fallen momiji (red maple leaves). Mandarin ducks are deeply revered symbols of conjugal love, lifelong fidelity and devoted companionship, used to express desire for lasting romance. Here, they are rendered using several different techniques. The ducks are painted in iro-urushi, meaning colourful lacquer, which gives their colouring life-like accuracy. Their white feathers are created through a delicate application method called rankaku, in which crushed eggshells are carefully inlaid onto a lacquered surface to create eye-catching visual contrast. 

The inversion of colours with a red background and dark leaves creates an unexpected autumnal composition. Surrounding each leaf, created through maki-e, radiate soft nashiji waves of gold-dust. Squares of gold and mother-of-pearl inlay (raden) dot the scene, with several leaves highlighted in iridescent inlay. 

Significance and Rarity

While Mandarin ducks are a classic symbol of marital bliss and eternal fidelity, the artisan elevates this traditional motif into a striking composition. The unexpected inversion of colours—setting dark, shadowing maple leaves against a vibrant vermilion ground—distinguishes this piece from conventional black-and-gold lacquerware. Furthermore, the piece’s rarity is cemented by the sheer mastery required to execute it. It is exceptionally rare to see such a diverse convergence of demanding techniques—from the notoriously fragile rankaku (crushed eggshell inlay) to iridescent raden(mother-of-pearl) and luminous nashiji—applied seamlessly on a single, geometrically complex octagonal surface. 

Finally, the presence of the artist's signature on the base, complete with its original tomobako(wooden presentation box), secures its provenance and authenticity, making it a highly covetable masterpiece for serious collectors.