Eri Asano × Misato Seki
This jewelry is crafted using the traditional Japanese lacquer technique known as Tsui-shitsu (堆漆), in which colored lacquer mixed with pigments is applied once a day, repeatedly layered dozens to hundreds of times (about 3mm in thickness after 100 layers). Once the layered lacquer hardens, it is carefully carved to reveal intricate patterns. The three-dimensional texture created through carving and the unique visual effects from the depth of each incision give the piece its distinctive beauty.
This technique originated in China during the Song and Yuan dynasties and was introduced to Japan during the Muromachi period. Known as Tsuishu (carved red lacquer) and Tsuikoku (carved black lacquer), it was highly valued in tea culture. With the development of pigments, a wider variety of colors is now used, and the technique is more vibrantly expressed as Tsui-shitsu.
The jewelry makes full use of the colorful stratified layers—one of the defining characteristics of Tsui-shitsu.
This brand is the collaborative work of Eri Asano and Misato Seki, who use traditional Kagawa lacquer techniques. Both studied at Tokyo University of the Arts and later moved to Kagawa, where they each pursued their respective paths: Asano mastering the traditional Sanuki lacquer techniques, and Seki delving into the field of contemporary jewelry. Their joint creative endeavor began in 2023.
Eri Asano
Born in Tokyo in 1986. After specializing in urushi (lacquer art) at Tokyo University of the Arts, she relocated to Kagawa Prefecture to study traditional Sanuki lacquer techniques—Choshitsu (carved lacquer), Kinma (engraved and colored lacquer), and Zonsei (painting on lacquer)—at the Kagawa Urushi Lacquerware Institute. Featured in “100 Lacquer Artists of Japan” (2024, Abe Publishing).
Misato Seki
Born in Chiba in 1984. After majoring in urushi at Tokyo University of the Arts, she received the Purchase Award for her graduation work—a wearable lacquer art piece—and has since continued to explore the relationship between the body and ornamentation through contemporary jewelry. She incorporates traditional lacquer techniques such as maki-e (gold powder decoration), raden (mother-of-pearl inlay), and kyushitsu (lacquer) into modern decorative expression. In 2019, she won the prestigious Herbert Hofmann Prize at Schmuck, the world’s largest contemporary jewelry competition, for her piece “slit.”
The Tsui-shitsu process begins with the daily application of lacquer to build up colored layers. This patient work is made possible by the mild climate and low natural disaster risk in Kagawa, which allows for consistent daily labor. Day by day—whether sunny or rainy, joyful or somber—the accumulation of each stroke creates a vivid, layered beauty.
- 2023: Selected for the Itami International Craft Exhibition
- 2024: Selected for SCHMUCK (Germany’s leading contemporary jewelry competition)
- Acquired by Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustri-Museum (Norway)