Fine ornamental tetsubin of this type were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony. A common characteristic of sencha kettles was that one side more heavily decorated than the other. In the sencha tea ceremony a tetsubin, held by the host in his right hand, is looked at by the guest with the spout pointing to the right. This is the side of the tetsubin which is usually more ornately decorated in order to enable the guest to admire the kettle’s “best” side. High relief ornamental tetsubin like this one are magnificent examples of Japanese ironwork which are very much sought after by collectors today.

CONDITION is excellent with normal interior rusting consistent with age and usage.

In the center of the main room of traditional Japanese houses of the Edo and Meiji periods stood an open hearth in which a small charcoal fire was kept burning. Above the fire was a suspension device called a “jizai” (self-adjuster) from which an iron kettle could be hung and raised or lowered as needed. A large wooden pothook hanger (“jizai-gake”) was suspended by a heavy rope from the high roof beams. The other end of this rope was attached to the adjuster (“yokogi,” i.e., crosspiece) through which the rope passed just above the iron hook. The weight of a pot on the iron hook pulled down on the rope and jammed it tight inside its hole through the crosspiece. Moving the yokogi to a horizontal position released this tension and permitted the kettle to be raised or lowered. Because the fire was maintained on an open hearth in the middle of the floor, this kettle suspension apparatus was always in plain view of guests or customers. Well-to-do farmers and merchants vied with one another to obtain large, impressive kettle-hook hangers made of fine wood, carefully formed and finished. Zelkova was the most expensive wood used for this purpose. It is a sturdy, long-lasting hardwood with a beautiful dense grain, and it requires little maintenance.

Folk-craft products or “mingei,” of which this kettle hook is representative, are objects used by common people. These commonplace, functional artifacts are endowed with a beauty directly connected with their utility – a beauty that is simple, humble and unassuming. Considered a quintessential example of Japanese folk art, keyaki wood jizai-gake are represented in most major collections of mingei or Japanese folk art.

Nishiura Enji’s porcelain is featured in the world famous Khalili Collection and illustrated on page 342 of “Splendors of Meiji: Treasures of Imperial Japan.” According to the catalogue of the Liege exhibition of 1905, Nishiura worked at Tajimicho, Gifu, and had won medals at St. Louis in 1904 and other exhibitions.

Sake has always been an integral part of Japanese life and the number and variety of kanban for the brew reflect this. Sake is stored in “sake-daru,” the cedar or cypress barrels which are wrapped in straw. The “shimenawa,” a braided straw rope sacred in Shinto belief and a portent of good luck, was an essential part of the barrel. The larger brewers licensed certain retail shops to display their kanban, just like the promotional product advertising still seen in modern shops. (For a similar example, see Plate 5 in KANBAN: SHOP SIGNS OF JAPAN by Dana Levy, Lea Sneider and Frank Gibney.)

Kanban are the traditional shop signs of old Japan. During the Edo and Meiji periods, large areas of the major cities were filled with rows of shops from which almost every conceivable form of trade was carried out. Because the shops were small, crowded and similar in appearance, the merchants were forced to advertise their wares through the use of banners, lanterns and shop signs. Signs with pleasing designs played an important role in catching the attention of passers-by and attracting potential customers. Visible from the street, the signs had to advertise the shop’s products in an original and appealing manner that would be immediately comprehensible to the public. Kanban were often decorated with bold patterns and characters advertising the wares of the shop, the owner, and the unique qualities of the products sold. While many of these signs were simple rectangular shapes, others resembled the objects associated with the wares sold in the shop and were elaborately carved and painted.

This antique kanban for Kiku-Masamune sake is particularly elegant. The workmanship is indicative of the quality of craftsmanship and the originality demanded of the carvers of shop signs in 19th century Japan, and the gilding is lush. This sign is an example of a “yoki kanban,” which is a sign that identifies the product by its container. Such shop signs started centuries ago and were important when not everybody could read. Most had recognizable symbols, like this sake cask, and they advertised common household necessities and were directed to a largely illiterate audience. This kanban is an important example of Japanese folk art equaling the quality of those found in most of the major mingei collections or illustrated in reference books and catalogs about Japanese folk art.

Oribe ware, a folk pottery produced in kilns located in Mino and Seto, is particularly Japanese in taste and was never made for export. Its bold and spontaneous designs and contours were generally asymmetrically executed in styles that were distinct, imaginative and vigorous. Oribe pottery derives its name from Furuta Oribe, a famous 16th century tea master. His influence over the pottery production of his day led to the development of a certain type of ware that was later named after him, nearly all relating in some way to the tea ceremony. Folk-craft products or “mingei,” of which this dish is representative, are objects used by common people. These commonplace, functional artifacts are endowed with a beauty directly connected with their utility – a beauty that is simple, humble and unassuming.

Since the sixteenth century, woven baskets for flowers have been favorites for use in the tea ceremony. Designed to contain fresh-cut flowers, flower baskets were also used in shrines and in the alcoves in Japanese homes (“tokonoma”), providing an atmosphere conducive to the quiet and tranquil contemplation of nature. While bamboo baskets have served various utilitarian functions in Japanese daily life for centuries, they also have been valued for their beauty. They express a Japanese aesthetic rooted in simplicity, humble natural materials and imperfect beauty. Beginning in the Meiji period, Japanese basket makers gradually transformed traditional flower baskets from utilitarian containers into sculptural masterpieces crafted in a variety of shapes, weaves and knots. Japanese baskets make aesthetically pleasing flower containers, since they bring the garden indoors and lend themselves well to natural arrangements.

To Japanese women, hair ornaments were much more than mere accessories to feminine hair-do and attire. The comb progressed from a utilitarian object to a highly decorative one on which craftsmen and artists lavished their imagination and skill. In keeping with their inclination to beautify even ordinary items of everyday use, the Japanese turned hair ornaments into extraordinary artistic objects that mirrored the cultural and social history of the period. They reflected the life and status of their wearers, who were geisha, courtesans, ladies in the court and women in their homes. In their own small way, combs and hairpins provide a miniature glimpse of the exceptional beauty of Japanese art. (See the wonderful article “Combs and Hairpins” by Sharon Ziesnitz and Takeguchi Momoko in DARUMA 35, Summer 2002.)

These tightly-fit boxes were used by scholars when they traveled so they could paint and do calligraphy. Cotton was placed in the bottom of the box and water was dripped into it. This provided the moisture necessary to make ink on the stone when an inkstick was ground onto it. It was also possible to create ink directly on the stone and store it in the bottom of the box. Gentlemen-scholars were known as literati, and items for the scholar’s desk were highly regarded by China’s elite.

Incense (“ko”) played an important role in the tea ceremony, which provided a setting for the admiration of the utensils associated with it. Among the most charming of these were the kogo, small covered containers used to store aromatic wood chips which were burned at certain points during the formal tea ceremony. They were also sometimes set out as display objects within special waiting rooms where guests could relax before the ceremony began or during scheduled interludes. Exhibiting a great deal of imagination, careful observation of nature and a playful sense of humor, kogo naturally came to be enjoyed outside their role as objects to be used and admired in the tea ceremony. They were exchanged as gifts and treasured for their own sake, and their popularity gave rise to a seemingly endless variety of shapes and decorative styles.

The potters who made kogo took pride in creating highly original and often intricate forms. Many of the boxes have ornamental surface decorations, and others are treated as miniature sculptures. The production of kogo was at its peak during the first half of the 19th century. The most extensive collection of antique Japanese ceramic kogo – more than three thousand -- can be found in The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. (See “Japanese Incense Boxes Rediscovered: The Georges Clemenceau Kogo Collection of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.”)

This particular carving technique which created long curling shavings was said to have been used during the construction of Sasano Kannon temple in 807 or learned from the Ainu tribe who were still living in this area long ago. In the late 18th century, the feudal lord of Yonezawa encouraged the production of folk toys to supplement the income of the farmers during the long harsh winters. These toys were sold at temple festivals to be presented to the gods or taken home as lucky charms and souvenirs.

These original sculptures are a striking example of what can be done with a single cylindrical piece of wood, colors sparingly applied, and a heavy hatchet-like knife. The first figurines were mostly of hawks, but today all kinds of animals and exotic birds are made. At Sasano, the village which gave its name to this type of carving, there is still an annual festival at the Temple of Sasano Kannon on January 17th, where birds and animals of many different shapes and sizes are sold as symbols of good luck. (See Sasano-Bori on Page 32 of “Japanese Folk Toys: The Playful Arts” by Lea Baten.)