Hazy Moon Lacquerware Tray

This item is a beautifully crafted wooden tray with a hazy moon motif created with gold leaves from Kanazawa.  

The tray is about 30 cm (11.8 in) and is extremely light and easy to hold. The deep black color of the lacquer exquisitely expresses the calmness of a dark night sky, and the delicate and random haze over the full moon is depicted by the gilded gold leaves. The sharp silhouette of the moon on the black lacquer will add a modern touch to your dining table. This tray can neatly hold a teapot and teacup set. Sake sets can be elegantly placed on a table with this hazy moon motif tray.

At Hakuichi,  experienced craftsmen stretch out about 2 g (0.07 oz) of gold into a thickness of 1/10,000 of a millimeter and skilled artisans gild the gold leaves on to each tray. Thin gold leaves can be torn in a single touch, but it's the fragility of the gold leaf that creates the mystical impression of a hazy moon.

Skilled craftsmen of Yamanaka Lacquerware create the lacquerware tray.
Woodturning craftsmen carve out the base of the trays from carefully selected pieces of wood, then lacquer craftsmen apply multiple coats of black lacquer by repeating the arduous process of brushing on then wiping off the lacquer. The artistry of the even brush strokes of lacquer against the natural curves of the wood grains is remarkable.