I am an Usuzumi Round Deep Tray - 360 x 34mm. Wide enough to gather light, deep enough to hold time. Every brushstroke, every use, becomes part of my surface.
We asked Mitani-san for a tray with higher walls, something suited to our daily lives of carrying breakfast to the bedroom, snacks to the sofa, or tea out to the backyard. When we make requests like this, we never quite know what will return to us, but every so often the result exceeds anything we imagined. This was one of those moments.
The Usuzumi Round Deep Tray carries his painterly touch in both surface and form. Layers of dark lacquer settle into the carved grain like ink on paper, giving each tray a quiet depth and its own rhythm of brushstrokes. The raised edge is subtle but practical, creating a gentle boundary that keeps items from slipping as you move through a space. It recalls the spirit of a traditional tea tray, but feels entirely new—made for modern, roaming throughout a home.
Usuzumi Round Deep Tray was curated by Stevenson Aung
Maker: Ryuji Mitani
Designer: Ryuji Mitani
Dimensions: 14.2" (w) x 1.3" (h) or 360mm (w) x 34mm (h)
Weight: 2.3 lb or 0.6 kg
Materials: Black Walnut, Urushi Lacquer