Product Information
"The Mermaid's Lament" is a story set in Nanjing during the Qing Dynasty, as imagined by Tanizaki. The decorations on the exterior of the box recreate the opening scene of the story, "The Aisin-Gioro Dynasty flourished and shone like the peonies in June." This piece doesn't capture the brilliance of the peonies at their peak but instead represents, through maki-e, the peonies that struggle to bloom in their final moments. I want to explore the differences in interpretation between the reader and the artisan. The flowing water motif inside the box is depicted in dark maki-e, while the peonies on the outside have an expression of decay. The scenery hidden behind the novel's descriptions is reinterpreted through maki-e.
Message
The peonies that bloom in June show the moment of their last remaining bloom. Their prime has long passed. The joys of the past are just memories. The best state has long ended. The greatest love is not necessarily something that lasts forever; rather, it is the ability to remember each other's past while being apart, filled with good memories, without regret, disappointment, complaints, or causing harm to one another.
2022
Kanazawa
Hinoki (Japanese cypress), hemp cloth, lacquer, Wako silver, platinum, gold, and maki-e.
