This exhibition is the first one of its kind to explore the enigmatic makie artist Nagata Yūji, who created lacquer ware using the technique of makie, or sprinkled metal decorations, in the style of the Rimpa school in Kyoto and Osaka during the Shōtoku to Kyōhō era (1711–1736), in the middle of the Edo period. Though the details of his life are not clear, his innovative works, which stylistically emulated the designs of Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716), and creatively incorporated a distinctive greenish-blue lacquer and raised designs with tin power, nevertheless stand out in the history of Japanese lacquer. Nagata also often used Kōrin’s round “Masatoki” seal and assumed the sobriquet “Seiseishi” by adding the character shi (child) to Kōrin’s sobriquet “Seisei,” attesting to his strong consciousness in taking after the style of the celebrated artist.
With new findings and scientific analysis, this exhibition showcases the works of Nagata Yūji I and explores his aspirations as well as the allure and secrets of these objects. This exhibit is the first of its kind to feature this enigmatic artist and later generations of his lineage.