DESCRIPTION: This large, gorgeous Japanese tray is crafted from a beautifully undulating piece of burl with curled edges that turn and overlap into the interior. The wood is a rich brown and twists in the most sumptuous patterns; the base is made from one flat slab of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. Striking and unique from any angle, it is a testament to the eye of the craftsman who saw its beauty and fashioned it for use. Excellent condition and dating from the Meiji period (1868 – 1912). DIMENSIONS... Click for details
A Robuchi hearth frame made from the old timbers (Kozai) of Genkoji Temple and bearing the yaki-in brand from the temple. Kozai tea utensils have long been highly appreciated in Japan, adding a sense of antiquity and Wabi-Sabi to the tea gathering, and crating a bridge between the temple and the tea room. The temple may have several made to give as return gifts to parishioners who have donated to the temples rebuilding. This piece is roughly 17 inches (33 cm) square, 2-3/4 inches (7 cm) tall a... Click for details
Dark bamboo (susudake) is tightly woven into a strong and impressive hand-made paper lined tea room charcoal basket by ChikuOSai. The proceeds of these sales will go entirely to the family of the artist. A thick rim is bound to the upper edge with very tightly woven knots, as are bound all the corners. The bottom is woven in an intricate crosshatch, signed on one corner on an inserted tab of red bamboo. It is roughly 10 inches (25 cm) diameter and in perfect (unused) condition. This is the ... Click for details
Soot stained bamboo (susudake) ripples about the rim of this intricate woven hand-made paper lined tea room charcoal basket by ChikuSai. Tightly woven strands of running bamboo rush like water past the vertical bands of reddish bamboo. The bottom is woven in an intricate crosshatch, signed on one corner. It is roughly 10 inches (25 cm) diameter and in perfect (unused) condition. These baskets were made by a good friend and respected teacher, the bamboo artist and Mia-Daiku (Temple carpenter)... Click for details
Age darkened bamboo (susudake) is woven in a complicated pattern; the simple elegant form capped with a strip of white bamboo cross-stitched to the rim and lined with black paper in a style known as Rikyu-gata by professional basket weaver, ChikuOSai. This is the style preferred by Sen-no-Rikyu and thus bears his name. It is roughly 10 inches (25 cm) diameter and in perfect (unused) condition. These baskets were made by a good friend and respected teacher, the bamboo artist and Mia-Daiku (Tem... Click for details
Everything about this sencha tea implement storage cabinet is top quality; a most unusual box made up almost entirely of worm wood featuring a removable door with an inner panel of antique Chinese origin, possibly an image of a tea salesman with his baskets of leaves. A bronze handle surmounts the lightweight box, with a set of four jade rings attached through a pair of folding fans serving as a handle for the door. Climbing up the naturally gnarled sides of the door are two tiny frogs gazing ... Click for details
A wooden sign of three golden characters carved into the surface of a solid slab of burled wood enclosed in a frame expertly carved with the four gentlemen, plum, bamboo, iris and chrysanthemum. It reads Yuraku-sai, A Place of Playful Enjoyment. The sign (with frame) is 11-1/4 x 21 inches (28.5 x 53 cm). It is signed Setsuyo (?) followed by two stamps. There is a chip into a hollow in the wooden plaque, lower left (see photos) otherwise is in excellent condition. This sign would have been h... Click for details
This beautiful hand-knotted cotton pile Japanese carpet (“dantsu”) with its stunning and bold design originated from Aka in Hyogo Prefecture, an area famous for its carpet production during the Meiji and Taisho periods. Ca. 1910-1925. This particular carpet was created in classic Ako dantsu design with the pattern of “kani-botan” (the name of a family crest formed of crab-shaped peonies) with a double key fret border. The natural dyes produced wonderful subtle shades of indigo blues and tans on ... Click for details
A very rare heavily weathered tea room sign reading Gessha (House of the moon) attributable to the great Zen Priest of Kenninji Takada Mokurai (1854-1930). Most likely Mokurai wrote the characters on paper when naming the Chashitsu (tea room), and they were then transferred exactly as written to the wood plank and carved out. Although unsigned, the two seals on the left are visible in the book The Art of 20th Century Zen, p 72. The two characters are cut into a single plank of wood reinforced... Click for details
Swirling eddies decorate the rim of this gorgeous vase of huge dark hollowed vine, golden minnows swimming up the sides of the natural current made by the winding wood. A very unusual piece which exemplifies the Japanese awe and care for nature. Minor burls and burs in the wood act like rocks under the swift moving water, the pattern rolling over them in a raucous rush. This special piece of wood, extremely large for a vine, appears to have been naturally hollowed out over time, the twisting ... Click for details
