Wipe-lacquer Finish Oryoki Bowl Set

"Oryoki", is a functional set of bowls designed to minimize waste in daily life in the practice of Zen Buddhism. It is increasingly attracting attention for its easy-to-use, functional and minimalistic design at the modern table.

Starting with the larger bowl, the smaller ones are stacked completely on top of each other in order to allow for compact storage and carrying. 

The charm of Oryoki is, first of all, its compact storage. All the bowls fit inside the largest bowl, so even if you have a set of six layers, you won't have trouble finding a place to store them. Another advantage is its durability. The Oryoki, which is made in Japan, is made of wood, making it is hard to break even if dropped, and its lacquer coating resists scratches and deterioration. Since Oryoki was designed to be used by Buddhist practitioners for the rest of their lives, it is, of course, long-lasting for home use.

In addition, Oryoki sets are easy to use as tableware: a single Oryoki set can provide all the dishes for one person, making meal preparation simple.

This "Oryoki" is made using zelkova and is coated with lacquer following the Yamanaka lacquerware craftsmanship.  With the charm of wipe-lacquer, a lacquering technique which maintains the appearance of woodgrain, it is created as a very simple, minimalistic form.

Yamanaka lacquerware, also known as Yamanaka Shikki, is a lacquerware produced in the Yamanaka Onsen (hot spring) district of Kaga, Ishikawa prefecture. This lacquerware is unique in that it blends the natural elegance of the wood grain with the elegant maki-e technique of sprinkling gold, silver, or other colored powder onto a lacquer painting.

With its beautiful wood texture, delicate and robust Yamanaka Lacquerware is evolving day by day, incorporating a modern sense of design while inheriting a tradition that has lasted for 400 years.