Antique NATSUME gold lacquered teacaddy EDO period #5148 for sale

Up for sale is this "Antique NATSUME gold lacquered teacaddy EDO period #5148" If you have any questions please contact us before buy it. No reserve.

width: approx. 6cm (2 23⁄64in)
height: approx. 6cm (2 23⁄64in)
weight: 43g
writing: There is a tea master's signature on the underside of the lid, but I was unable to identify whose signature it is.
origin: Japan

This is a natsume (tea caddy) crafted during the Edo period, and its charm lies in the fusion of luxury and delicate craftsmanship. The entire piece is adorned with golden lacquer, exuding a sense of elegance and refinement. The finely detailed decorations of leaves and flowers reflect the high level of craftsmanship of the artisan. The use of vibrant raden (mother-of-pearl inlay) and lacquer paintings adds a captivating allure.

This natsume serves an important role as a tea utensil in the tea ceremony, but its beauty and sophisticated design emphasize a sense of "splendor." Considering its Edo period origins, it reflects the aesthetics and luxurious culture of that era.

The texture of the lacquer and the intricate carvings convey warmth and grace when held, making it a visually striking presence during tea gatherings. Even after many years, the brilliance and excellent preservation of this piece suggest that it has been handled with great care. Not only is it a valuable item as a tea utensil, but it also holds great value as a work of fine art.

NATSUME is a traditional tea caddy made from high-grade wood and decorated with a gold lacquer called Makie. Its name comes from its shape, which is like a jujube (natsume in Japanese). Before the famous artist Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591) used natsume tea caddies in his tea ceremonies, pottery tea caddies were the norm. Natsume was used for daily necessities as pill case or something for townsman. Natsume remains popular with Tea Ceremony masters to the present day.

　Originally, usucha (weak green tea) was called "packed tea" because it was a low-quality tea that was used to fill in the space around bagged koicha (strong green tea) when it was placed in a tea earn. For that reason, from the time of Takeno Joo to the time of Sen no Rikyu, "tea" only referred to koicha. Because usucha was looked down upon, its container was a wooden box called a hikiya, the purpose of which was to store the chaire, koicha tea caddy. In other words, the case originally used for the chaire, koicha tea caddy, was put to another use, eventually being used independently as a usucha tea caddy. Technically, the hikiya for tea containers like nasu (an eggplant-shaped tea caddy) and bunrin (an apple-shaped tea caddy) is called a natsume and the hikiya for katatsuki (a container with protruding parts at the top) is called a nakatsugi, but generally, it is common to refer to both kinds of hikiya as natsume. They are broadly classified as large natsume, medium natsume, and small natsume, and each of these categories is further divided into large, medium, and small.

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