Antique Japanese Red Lacquer Lidded Bowl Hand Turned Crane & Plum Blossoms 4.5"

This is an antique Japanese Meiji Era (c. 1900) red lacquer lidded bowl that was hand turned from sugi (cryptomeria) wood with over twenty layers of red lacquer. Japanese lacquer is considered the finest in the world. Then, the design was painted on with raised gold lacquer, called makie. The design featured on the lid are of a crane in flight surrounded by a plum blossom (ume) motif as well as blossoms around the outer edge of the bowl.

Having been in storage for over a century, with exception to minor signs of use, two small cracks in the rim of the bowl and some chipping of the lacquer (see pictures), this remains in good conditioning and in good polish. The bowl measures about 4 3/4" in diameter by 2 1/4" tall (12 x 5.5 cm). With lid it measures 3" (7.5 cm) tall. This would make a great bowl for soup, salads or desserts.