Naruse Munenori (b.1901) Vintage Japanese bamboo tea scoop #5073 for sale

Up for sale is this "Naruse Munenori (b.1901) Vintage Japanese bamboo tea scoop #5073" If you have any questions please contact us before buy it. No reserve.

- length: approx. 18.4cm (7 1⁄4in)

- weight: 3g (gross 77g)

- title: chiyo no sakae (The word is often used in the tea ceremony. Meaning 'to flourish for a long time'.)

Naruse Muneomi (1901- ?)
He was a bamboo artist especially good at tea ceremony art. Bamboo artist usually sharps bamboo with Nomi (chisel), however, Naruse made his art with Kogatana (small knife). Although many tea ceremony masters are fun of his art, nobody know his date of death. He also left his art in his 91 years old. 

I have found a text where the monk Inokuchi Zenjo discusses Naruse Munenori, and I will introduce it with an English translation.

Bamboo Teascoop and Naruse Munenori

The bamboo teascoop serves merely to scoop matcha from the container into the teabowl, fulfilling no other role as a piece of tea ceremony equipment. Despite its simple and purely functional form, devoid of any decoration, when one holds the teascoop during the viewing of the tea utensils and examines it closely, it reveals a deep, profound appeal.

As of 1979, at the age of 78, Munenori Naruse, who silently and diligently carves bamboo teascoops, embodies such a character. It is well known that the creators of teascoops were traditionally the hidden presence behind the head of the school or the grandmaster, with renowned figures such as Shuko, Shotoku, Shoo, Sosui, Rikyu, and Sokei, none of whom were ever ostentatious.

Munenori also carves under the aegis of a Zen temple's sub-temple but never puts his name forward publicly. His modest and dignified nature suits this work well.

His distinctive technique involves carving with a single chisel without using small knives. Using the chisel with his left hand, he crafts delicate works that are truly astonishing.

The Munenori family could be described as a family of artists. Besides carving bamboo teascoops, he is proficient in flower arranging and calligraphy, while his wife is a woodcarver, and his daughter is a metal engraver who has won awards at traditional craft exhibitions. Each member of the family excels in a particular art, leading a life that is truly enviable.

Munenori creates unique items such as incense containers and tea utensils, but despite being encouraged to participate in tea utensil exhibitions, he persistently declines, saying, "I am just an amateur." I would like to recommend Mr. Naruse Munenori.

Inokuchi Zenjo

Chashaku, tea scoop, was　originally a scoopula, dispensing scoop, which had been used in China. Many of them were metal made ones and had a taro's leaf like form scoop with a handle whose top was a ball like form to crush Chinese herb with it. Meanwhile, in Japan, people used chashaku as a tool to put powdered green tea into tea bowl.
At the end of Muromachi period, however, the tea ceremony was founded, and the ceremony's style in which host sit in company with the guest(s) in the same room and made tea in front of the guest(s) began. The host spooned up powdered green tea out of bottle, which was made of wood and kept the powder. Then chashaku made of metal did not suit for the use because it may damage the bottle and spooning up powders out of the bottle was difficult because of the chashaku's wide scoop. Therefore, Shutoku, a disciple of Juko Murata(1422-1502) developed his original wooden lacquered chashaku, whose shape was suitable for satisfying the condition. It was called "Shutoku-gata".
After that, bamboo made chashaku was developed. It was used as a disposal, single use tool.
Since the era of Rikyu, however, people began to put it back into a hollow bamboo utensil. In addition, people began to decorate the bamboo utensil with a stylized signature. At this point, people got to love a combination beauty of a chashaku and a hollow bamboo utensil. As time goes by, many tea experts have made hand-made bamboo chashakus and various chashakus has been made to love the shape of them as well as today.

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