Box with Pearl Oyster Shell Inlay

Akiyama Issei began studying under Shimada Itsuzan at age 17, learning the Shibayama inlay technique believed to have been invented by Shibayama Senzo (from present-day Shibayama Town, Sanbu County, Chiba). Akiyama went on to study marquetry and metal carving, and frequently participated in exhibitions such as the Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) and the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition. In his later years he earned high acclaim for the unique wood inlay technique he developed, and was designated a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure). This work is a splendid example of the flat inlay technique, deftly combining white-lipped and black-lipped pearl oyster, wood pieces and other elements in a design flush with the surface. The symmetrical designs that Akiyama favored are said to have been influenced by his friend, the metal artist Nobuta Yo. (U.M.)