The Wild Cherry Blossom Soup Bowl & Spoon Set
We have a very special recent arrival: The Wild Cherry Blossom Soup Bowl & Spoon set. Coming in all the way from Japan after nine long months of waiting, these sets are crafted by Hiroyuki Sugawara, a Japanese woodworker from the Miyagi region just north of Tokyo. A true master of his work, Sugawara does what Japan is best known for: perfecting an every-day craft to a beyond exceptional level.
Found in Translation
At the end of last year I came across Sugawara’s profile on Instagram and immediately knew I had stumbled upon something special. Scrolling through his page I saw minimalistic, elegant bowls, plates, and cutlery that was like nothing I had seen prior. The level of refinement and detailed finishes made it hard to tell what the items were actually made of - was it wood or perhaps some sort of metal? Each item looked like a medium of its own.
Since I don’t speak Japanese, the captions on Sugawara's Instagram posts weren’t answering my questions. Instead, I went ahead and sent him a direct message. We then began to chat, using Google Translate to bridge the language gap. Sugawara explained that he is a woodworker crafting lacquer-finished items with traditional Japanese materials and frequently exhibits his work at local galleries and exhibitions. Shortly thereafter I placed an order for these sets and, following many months of carefully detailed work, they have finally arrived.
Paying Tribute to Japanese Tradition
This set is more than simply tableware, but represents the years of knowledge, skill, and experience that Sugawara crafted each with. The 16 sets are almost perfectly identical, from the shape and size of the bowl to the gentle curve of the spoon, each is replicated with impressive precision.
These pieces are carved from Wild Cherry Blossom wood, a material that carries significant meaning in Japanese culture and frequently appears throughout Japanese art. Also known as Sakura, these trees are have profound symbolic meaning. They represent the transient essence of life, blooming beautifully for a brief period before withering away into death. At the same time, they embody renewal and optimism, as the arrival of spring heralds new growth and possibilities.
Finally, each bowl is coated with a traditional Japanese lacquer paint. This varnish is made from the sap of the Urushi tree, which mainly grows in Japan and China as well as Southeast Asia. A quality lacquer object may have more than 30 coats of paint and take months or years to polish, making it a timely and expensive process.
Designed with Functionality in Mind
Sugawara created the Soup Bowl with the idea of making it suitable for a variety of meals, not just soup. Thanks to the lacquer paint finish, the exterior remains cool and easy to handle, even when filled with hot meals. This natural paint is much safer than chemical paints. Moreover, lacquer-finished vessels are waterproof, resistant to salt, alcohol and even alkali and acid, and also insulate heat and electricity, making them perfect for any hot meal.
The spoon was intentionally shaped to fit the mouth and is particularly thin and smooth, however very strong and durable thanks to the lacquer finish. It is very light and has a well-balanced angle, so it is perfect not only for soup, but also for risotto and bean dishes. Lastly, each bowl is painted with a subtle gray-blue finish while the spoons are finished with a more traditional dark brown tone.
The value of these sets is representative of the artistic detail found in each. The quality materials of Wild Cherry Blossom wood and Japanese lacquer paint as well as Hiroyuki’s exceptional level of skill acquired with many years of knowledge and experience in his field make each a truly special addition to your tableware collection.
