Shibata Zeshin (????) was a Japanese artist who is most well-known for his innovative use of lacquer. He was born in 1808 in the city of Edo, present-day Tokyo. At the time, the Japanese had not yet adopted the Gregorian calendar and one biographer listed Zeshin's date of birth as February 31st. Both his father and grandfather, Izumi Chobei, were shrine carpenters and wood carvers. His father had assumed his wife's family name of Shibata and was an Ukiyo-e painter, who had studied under Katsukawa Shunsho.

By the age of 11, young Zeshin was on his way to becoming an artist. He began his study of art with an apprenticeship to the well-known local lacquer artist Koma(n) Kansai. At 13, Zeshin dropped his own name, Kametaro, and called hi...