Flatland #2

This is one in a twelve-part series whose title refers to the eponymous 1884 satirical novella by the British author Edwin A. Abbott. Ishizuka read it in college. The plot involves people who live in a two-dimensional world and do not have a concept of a third dimension. Inspired by this premise, Ishizuka embedded three-dimensional objects in a two-dimensional format. There are thick pieces of metal in the lower layer of lacquer and thinner pieces in layers above it. This surface-decoration technique, called togidashi, has been practiced since the Nara period (710–794). The artist achieved the smooth, glossy finish by polishing the final layer of lacquer with charcoal powder mixed with a small amount of roiro-shiage (iron).