Collectors, like parents, don't like to admit having favorites, but often they do. I'm no exception. Though perhaps some of my silver or ivory whist counters might technically be more "valuable" -- in terms of what it might cost to replace them from an expensive antique shop, my favorite piece is the one that best exemplifies the traditional Japanese lacquer and Shibayama craftsmanship. It is an elegant piece that represents a great deal of work by a true artist. Click on the images below to view pictures large enough to see the details, the back is just as amazing as the front -- but scans still can't really capture the wonderful soul of this work of art.
The back of this counter exemplifies the lacquer technique of "Hirame." Hirame are irregularly shaped flakes of gold, silver and koban that appear on many kinds of inro. As Raymond Bushell points out in his definitive THE INRO HANDBOOK, the literal meaning of hirame is flat-eye. "Hirame are globular, metallic marufun grains that are flattened under pressure into irregular flake shapes... are easily ground and polished to a high brilliance." The gold floral designs on the fronts of the more usual type of Japanese Shibayama exemplify the technique known as "Hiramaki-e" by the way
Perhaps a better way to appreciate the quality of this counter is to compare its pegs to the same "Good" and "Better" Shibayama examples in my collection previously illustrated. This one is clearly "Best."
