Sea Plate Whale is...

• This is a round lacquered plate depicting a whale in raden (mother-of-pearl).

This round plate comes from the "Sea Plate" series, in which lacquer craftsmen hand-paint the creatures of the sea. The whale, a motif long familiar in ukiyo-e, picture scrolls, and folding screens, is rendered here in raden (mother-of-pearl inlay) against deep black lacquer. For its great size, the whale has been revered as a lucky motif, said to make those who encounter it "become a great figure," and as an incarnation of Ebisu, the god of a bountiful catch.
Around it, the "tachinami" standing-wave pattern of bursting white spray symbolizes the power to overcome hardship and the strength of life. May it bring an open, free spirit to your table.