Tray with torii gate motif

The tray is adorned with the motif of a torii gate, typical entrance scenery with a Shinto shrine in the background. The term “torii” means “perch for birds” and is based on the fact that such perches for sacred roosters (looking like a beam on two columns) used to stand at the entrances to Japanese shrines. The torii gate and shrine motif is executed in the maki-e and rankaku-nuri techniques. In the maki-e technique, wet lacquer urushi is sprinkled with gold or silver powder, while in the rankaku-nuri (“egg shell lacquer”) technique, crushed egg shells are applied to the upper lacquer layer to yield a crackling effect.