OCTAGONAL URUSHI CHOPSTICKS PAIR SET – KIJIRO, BLACK GOLD & VERMILION SILVER, PAULOWNIA BOX (ECHIZEN)

Two pairs of octagonal chopsticks in kijiro lacquer, a translucent urushi that lets the grain of the wood show through. One pair is finished in black and gold, the other in vermilion and silver, and both come in a paulownia wood box.

Lacquered by hand in Fukui, the home of Echizen lacquerware. Kijiro is the finish craftsmen use when the wood itself is worth showing; the metallic bands at the hand end give it a little ceremony without losing the warmth.

The traditional pairing of black for him and red for her makes this the classic wedding, anniversary or sixtieth-birthday gift.