Tabletop Lacquered Wood Butsudan (Buddhist Altar), Japan
A Japanese-made butsudan of lacquer over a wooden core, hand-coated in the traditional black lacquer (Kuro-urushi) technique. The surface is mirror-bright and the lacquer deep and restrained, at once solemn and modern in its simplicity. The form is square and upright and well proportioned, and the doors have framed panels with relief lines that create a subtle play of layers and rhythm in light and shadow — understated but not monotonous. The interior is square and clean, able to hold a small Buddhist figure, omamori, ihai memorial tablets, an incense box, an incense burner and the like; it can also serve as a display cabinet at the end of a tea setting or a case for incense wares. Its calm black tone sets off the luster of offerings and objects, and whether placed in a tatami room, on an entryway table or in a Zen-style space, it brings a quiet, sacred atmosphere.
