Continually prioritizing mastery of techniques and exceptional craftmanship, Christofle announces a special collaboration with artist Junichi Hakose, one of the most acclaimed Japanese lacquer and special craft “Makie” artists. Master Hakose has reimagined the Christofle iconic MOOD giving rise to seven exceptional designs, each in limited editions. The delicacy and attention to detail is exquisite and makes each piece truly one of a kind.
The chrysanthemum is the oldest flower motif in Japan and is cherished, like the cherry blossom. It is a favorable omen that incorporates the wish for a long life. Thousands of individual lines forming the overlapping petals of the chrysanthemums are drawn one by one, from top to bottom with a single, unbroken movement of the brush. Even among Makie techniques, this is a masterpiece of work with polishing that gives the work a three-dimensional feel. Chrysanthemum flowers that don’t have the same expression as a single object are given new expression through the thickness of the lines, the brightness of the gold and silver colors, the size and density of the powder, the placement of shell in the centers of some of the flowers here and there, and blue light. This work has the spatial aesthetic characteristic of Japan. The ‘beauty of subtraction’ that sees gaps and spaces are beauty and, can be seen in the way that the chrysanthemum patterns overlap. In addition, the lower portion contains shell scattered about that reflects the natural light to depict a fantastical world. The lines become thinner and the colors fade and seem to gradually disappear as if they are being drawn in, causing each viewer to imagine a story from a dream. The cutlery is adorned with gold and silver cherry blossoms on vermillion to purposely give it a relaxed expression.
This is a unique, limited-edition piece that will not be reproduced. Numbered as "1 of 6".
The chest in stainless steel & silver-plated flatware decorated with lacquer, 24K gold, silver (with palladium), seashell (Turbo marmoratus), and pigment component.
This piece took 10 months to complete.
