Namiki Yukari Royale Lioness and Cubs

A lioness pushing her cub off a cliff is a common theme in traditional Japanese art. While it seems heartless, it is actually a story of strength, endurance, and survival as the mother waits for the cub to climb back to her. This design appears on kabuki garb (on the “uchikake” or “outer robe”) and goes back to the 1800s on woodblock prints. 

The Namiki Yukari Royale Lioness and Cubs is inspired by this theme that appears in the famous work of Utagawa Hiroshige II, created between 1860 and 1870. Made by the artisan Hideki Furuhara, signing as “Shotaku”, it showcases the intricacies of Togidashi-taka Maki-e (burnished raised maki-e), a laborious blend of techniques that offers an ethereal, three-dimensional effect. The pen carries a No. 20, 18-karat gold nib. 

We have for sale a brand-new Namiki Yukari Royale Lioness and Cubs, complete with its box, papers, and other inclusions.