Mirugai natsume (horse clam tea caddy) by Shimizu Sōsui

An exceptional natsume (棗) by the Wajima lacquer master Shimizu Sōsui (清水宗翠), titled Mirugai (海松貝), a graceful, elongated shell from Japanese waters. The motif depicts a tranquil coastal landscape where waves, seaweed, and shells merge in refined raden (mother-of-pearl) and maki-e (gold powder), a classic theme in Japanese decorative art that captures the richness and fluidity of the sea.

Motif

The deep black lacquer ground is full and lustrous. Soft, undulating lines suggest the rhythm of the sea, while scattered shells, including the characteristic elongated mirugai, lie as quiet accents in the landscape. The composition is deliberately asymmetrical and breathes serenity. A misty, slightly granular effect in the background provides depth, reminiscent of sand being shifted by water.

Accents of raden are incorporated into the surface: inlaid mother-of-pearl that reveals a soft blue-green sheen in the light. The material, derived from shell, reinforces the theme of the representation in an almost poetic manner; image and material coincide here quite naturally. The lid bears a calm composition of loose shells, while slender seaweed branches are applied to the sides, like a stilled echo of the movement on the surface.

The interior is exceptionally finished in a soft metallic lacquer with silver and gold tones. This subtle sheen departs from the more common gold lacquer and points to a refined workshop technique and attention to detail.

Symbolism

In Japanese decorative art, the sea motif refers to infinity, abundance, and the untamed power of nature. Shells are classic symbols of happiness and harmony, rooted in the coastal aesthetics that already held a firm place in the decorative imagination during the Heian period. Combining various shells and seaweed into a single composition is a reference to mono no aware: the beauty of diversity and impermanence, animated by the eternal movement of water.

Craftsmanship

Wajima is known for a lacquer tradition in which dozens of layers of urushi are applied by hand, each dried and smoothed before the surface acquires its characteristic depth. Shimizu Sōsui worked within this tradition and spent his entire life making objects for the tea ceremony, where every natsume must be as beautiful as it is pleasing to hold.

This natsume is heavier than average, a direct result of the thickness of the wood and the many layers of lacquer applied during the manufacturing process. The lid closes with a gentle resistance and fits perfectly, which can only be the result of careful handiwork. That tactile quality conveys more about its excellence than a photograph ever could.

Object Details

• Maker: Shimizu Sōsui (清水宗翠, born Shimizu Shōzō, b. 1921, Wajima)
• Title: Mirugai natsume, 海松貝蒔絵棗
• Technique: Maki-e (lacquer decoration with gold powder) and raden (mother-of-pearl inlay)
• Material: Lacquered wood (urushi), Wajima lacquer
• Diameter: 7.2 cm
• Height: 7.2 cm
• Weight: 63.7 g
• Period: Shōwa (c. 1950–1980)
• Condition: Very good
• Accessories: Original tomobako inscribed 海松貝蒔絵 with seal of Shimizu Sōsui, tomonuno with seal, maker's introduction card

Signature and Maker

Shimizu Sōsui (清水宗翠) is the artist name of Shimizu Shōzō, born in 1921 in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, the historical center of Japanese lacquer art. Trained from a young age by his father Shimizu Shōsaku, he worked in a workshop in the city after his training before establishing himself independently in 1965. His work is rooted in the Wajima tradition and focuses specifically on objects for the chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony, with a particular focus on the natsume. The combination of raden and maki-e, two techniques that each require great craftsmanship individually, characterizes the exceptional position Sōsui held within the Wajima school.