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.

CONDITION is excellent. There are some dryness splits on the back side, which is what one would look for and expect on a genuine antique kanban. DIMENSIONS: 18” (45.8 cm) high, 17” (43 cm) wide, 2” (5 cm) deep.