The Master of Luminous Layers: The Life and Art of Bundo Tenno In the delicate, shimmering world of Japanese lacquerware, few names evoke the same sense of meticulous devotion as Bundo Tenno. Born in Tokyo in 1896, Tenno emerged during a transformative era for Japanese decorative arts, a period where the ancient traditions of the Edo period met the burgeoning modernism of the early 20th century. His journey was one of profound discipline, rooted in an early fascination with the way light interacts with precious minerals and sap. To study under the masters of his time was to undergo a spiritu…