Kado Isaburô is one of the most important modern Japanese lacquer artists. He grew up in the relatively remote town of Wajima at the end of a peninsula on Japan’s northern coast, a place that has been famous for its lacquer workshops for centuries. He was therefore familiar with this profession from childhood, but developed his own unmistakable style, characterized by clear, powerful forms and absolute perfection in craftsmanship. His art thrives on the contrast between the rough and the expressive, and—as seen here—precise geometric forms.

The large, stacked box is a functional object—a picnic box consisting of six oval bowls for different dishes. It thus represents a traditional utilitarian design used in Japan for centuries. At the same time, however, the completely unconventional-looking box is a kind of sculpture and is reminiscent of Art Deco shapes or even automobile design.

The piece entered the museum collection on the occasion of a solo exhibition of Kado’s lacquer art, which was shown in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and in our museum in Frankfurt in 1994/95.