Britannia silver beaker with Gold inlay, Edinburgh 2021

Item number: 58165

A modern Britannia silver and 24 K Gold “Craggy Beaker with Nunome inlay”,
Edinburgh 2021 by Yusuke Yamamoto

The circular body of the beaker, slightly widening towards the upper edge and adorned on all sides by a chiselled surface with different surface structures. Some facets are worked with gold inlays in 24 K yellow gold, which were inserted in the so-called nunome technique: in this technique, the silver is cut out manually and the inserted gold is firmly connected to the surrounding silver by hammer blows to the edges of the gold inlay. This ancient Japanese silversmithing technique allows the insertion of other metals where soldering would be technically risky or not possible, but requires the highest degree of precision, patience and craftsmanship from the executing silversmith. The smaller the gold insert to be integrated, the more difficult and time-consuming the work becomes. As if that were not enough, the artist also varies the chisels when working on the facets, which means that the appearance of each facet differs from that of the surrounding ones. This results not least in unexpected light reflections.
In every respect an exceptional work in an outstanding realisation that is characteristic of Yusuke Yamamoto.

Yusuke Yamamoto studied from 2000 – 2004 at the Musashino Art University in Tokyo and perfected his technical skills in countless courses and private lessons, including in the workshops of Malcolm Appleby and Ray Walton. As a specialist in the field of silversmithing and surface design, he became also assistant in the class for metalwork at Musashino Art University from 2005 – 2010 and a guest lecturer at the Glasgow School of Art from 2012 – 2014. From 2010 – 2012 he was in artistic collaboration with Hiroshi Suzuki for whom he was responsible of surface treatment. Yusuke Yamamoto’s highest level of craftsmanship in surface design is on the one hand in the tradition of Japanese silversmithing and yet still has its own signature, coupled with an inconceivable perfection.

9.4 cm / 3.7″ tall, 9.6 cm / 3.77″ diameter of upper rim, 7.5 cm / 2.95“ diameter of the base; 321.2 g / 10.32 oz