Tea container (natsume)
Tamura Isshū
Description
Tamura Isshū 田村一舟
Japan, born 1957
Tea container named Bamboo Grove
(Takebayashi)
Heisei era (1989–2019)
Late 20th century
Wood with black lacquer, gold, and silver
Museum purchase made possible by the
Director’s Acquisition Committee, 2016,
2016/1.261A&B
This lacquered tea caddy (棗 natsume) features a design of evenly spaced
bamboo trees, which are typically associated with stability and strength.
The design was executed using gold inlay, a technique whereby the bronze
bamboo trees were applied to the caddy prior to the application of the
lacquered background. The area between the bamboo stalks was created
using the maki-e technique, in which gold dust was sprinkled over a
pictorial design rendered in wet lacquer. This caddy would have originally
been used to store tea for the tea ceremony, which was often a highly
ceremonial event. Objects such as this tea caddy were prized for their beauty
as well as their novelty: attached, the two parts reveal a pictorial pattern
representing strength; separately, they suggest distinct abstract patterns.
(Japanese Gallery Rotation, Summer 2025)
Subject Matter:
This lacquered tea caddy (棗 natsume) features a design comprised of evenly-spaced bamboo trees, typically associated with notions of stability and strength. The design of the bamboo stalks and leaves was executed using gold inlay– a technique whereby the bronze bamboo trees were applied to the caddy prior to the application of the lacquered background. Between the bamboo stalks, a technique referred to as maki-e, in which gold dust was sprinkled over a pictorial design rendered in wet lacquer, was employed. This tea caddy would have originally been used to store tea for the tea ceremony– often considered to be a highly performative event regardless of the number of attendants. Objects such as this tea caddy were prized by collectors and attendants alike for their beauty as well as their novelty. For example, the lid and container shown here appear to feature abstract designs when separated, only revealin
Physical Description:
Cylindrical tea caddy (棗 natsume) with a detachable lid. The container is painted with black lacquer, and decorated using gold inlay and the maki-e ("sprinkled pictures") technique. The caddy features a design of bamboo trees.
Usage Rights:
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