For more than 9,000 years, urushi (Japanese lacquer) has been an essential part of Japanese life, admired for its durability, natural beauty, and protective qualities. Traditionally used to coat wood, metal, or ceramics, it has preserved sacred objects and everyday vessels alike, its deep black gloss and soft, organic warmth symbolising both strength and refinement. This timeless material forms the foundation of the innovative series TsuTsuMu (包 – “to wrap”).

Created by lacquer artist Hisayoshi Muto(武藤 久由), TsuTsuMu was born from a simple but radical question: must lacquer only ever be applied as a surface? Through years of trial, failure, and persistence, Muto discovered that lacquer could be built into form itself, binding together fragments of broken glass without relying on any core material. Each vessel requires over 25 layers of hand-applied lacquer, with every coat demanding careful curing under controlled humidity and temperature. It is a process that tests both the artisan’s patience and his resolve, turning moments of fragility into enduring beauty.

The result is a craft unlike any other — a union of opposites, where glass holds the instant it was shattered and lacquer preserves the eternity of time. This patented technique is the only one of its kind in the world, making each vessel not just unique but truly unrepeatable. More than tableware, TsuTsuMu is an embodiment of philosophy: the coexistence of strength and delicacy, transience and permanence, all gently wrapped into a single work of art.