25899 Living National Treasure Kuroda Tatsuaki Mother-of-pearl and white butterfly middle work KURODA Tatsuaki

Height: 8.0cm
Diameter 7.3cm

Tatsuaki Kuroda (September 21, 1904 - June 4, 1982) was a lacquer artist and woodworker. He was born in Kyoto Prefecture. He is known for a wide range of woodworking, including carving and joinery, and lacquerware, including dry lacquer and mother-of-pearl. The shining emerald green shell is Mexican abalone. Mexican abalone is thin, making it a difficult material to use in lacquerware works. Tatsuaki was very fond of Mexican abalone shells. It took more than 10 years from the time he obtained them to the time he turned them into works of art.
The shining white thing is a white butterfly shell.
By the way, it was Shiko Munakata who named this sparkling shell piece "Yogai" (glowing shell). Depending on the light and the viewing angle, the mother-of-pearl shows various expressions, captivating the viewer. A finely detailed and powerful piece of superior quality.