When the lid opens,
gold does not glitter loudly.
It rises.
Kaga Zogan is a traditional Japanese metal inlay technique.
Fine grooves are carved into iron,
and pure gold is carefully hammered into them.
This compact carries a chrysanthemum motif.
The petals look soft,
yet each line is the result of precise carving and controlled force.
What appears delicate is, in fact, structural.
The black ground is not paint.
It comes from treated iron —
burnished, finished, and darkened through process.
Because of this density,
the gold does not sink into the surface.
It hovers.
Inside, the mark “OODA” reflects a period when
traditional craft techniques were translated into refined daily objects.
Kaga inlay compacts exist in many variations —
plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, grasses, abstract forms.
Some emphasize motif, others technique.
This piece stands as an introduction.
A moment where gold rises quietly from black,
held in balance by iron beneath it.
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