“Keko,” literally “floral basket,” refers to a flat tray-like carrier for flower petals which are scattered during Buddhist rituals. Originally a practical flower holder made of bamboo, ornate metal baskets, such as this one, later came to be used in temples. Decorative cords, tied in a trefoil knot (“agemaki”), hung from the three small rings attached to the bottom of the keko. The practice of offering flowers to the Buddha dates back to the Indian origins of the Buddhist faith, where the ground on which important figures walked was purified with scattered flower petals. Such customs were integrated into the Buddhist tradition and remain an essential part of Japanese Buddhist ritual. Most important Buddhist rituals begin with a chanted four-part liturgy which symbolically prepares the sacred space of the hall for the arrival of the deity. During the third section of this liturgy, known as the Strewing of Flowers, the monks spread flower petals around the hall and on the altar to purify it. These petals, sometimes of real flowers but more often made of paper or cloth, are held in the keko. The earliest Japanese keko date from the eighth century. (See Figure 55 in “Object as Insight: Japanese Buddhist Art & Ritual” from the Katonah Museum of Art.) It is quite rare to find early keko with any of its original silk cords, and this one has all three plus the gilded bronze fittings at the end.

CONDITION is excellent, with wonderful original patina. Ex. collection Lawrence Rockefeller. DIMENSIONS: 9 ¾” (24.8 cm) diameter, 7/8” (2.3 cm) deep. Cords are approximately 35 ½” (90 cm) long.