SPECIAL! Antique Meiji-Era Urushi Lacquer Artisan's Mixing Board (Urushi-Bana)

An antique Japanese lacquer artisan's mixing board (urushi-bana), dating to the late 19th century. Used daily in a traditional workshop, this utilitarian panel served as the surface for blending natural urushi resin with powdered pigments. The top edge retains a row of built-in wooden peg markers coated in decades of accumulated material, offering a remarkable, raw window into historic Japanese craftsmanship.

Materials
A solid, single panel of native conifer wood, likely cedar (sugi) or cypress (hinoki), reinforced on the reverse with two thick stabilizing batten strips to prevent warping. The working face is built up with highly textured, thick encrustations of polychrome Japanese lacquer (urushi) containing trace mineral pigments in black, red, yellow, and green.

Dimensions

Condition & Antique Character
As an antique object, this piece has lived a previous life and shows the gentle marks of time and utility. The main surface features an incredibly dense, layered accumulation of dried lacquer spatters, tool scrapes, and rich workshop carbon build-up that forms a highly textured abstract landscape. The protruding pegs along the upper margin show uneven encrustations and minor historic chipping, while the raw wood on the reverse side displays natural grain shrinkage, minor scuffs, and occasional pigment transfers along the edges. Please examine the photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.