Antique Japanese Lacquer Round Wood Chabako | Tea Box with Persimmon Motif

Dimensions: 4-1/2”h x 12-1/2” dia.

This RARE round Japanese lacquer-lidded tea box (Chabako) was specifically used for the Chabako temae (chabako tea ceremony), an exquisite blend of tradition, art, and mindfulness. The tea ceremony master, Ishikawa-sensei presides over the ceremony. The term “chabako” refers to a box that has been used since the era of Sen No Rikyu, and is used for the portability of all the components related to making and presenting tea. This beautifully crafted lacquer box was made to hold a matcha tea bowl, a folded silk cloth, called a kobukusa, on which rests a netsuke, (a matcha container used to store powdered green tea), a tea scoop and a tea whisk inside its holder called a ‘chasenzautsu’. Additionally a furidashi, a container for sweets. These essential items were all in miniature to both fit as well as for the preparation and making of tea, all to be held in this beautifully fashioned compact box. (Shown for information only, but not included in this sale are the above components for making tea).

The Chabako being offered exhibits an exceptionally wonderful texture and bold design detailing through intricate high-relief carving (Takamakie). The motif represents the “Miracle Japanese Persimmons” (kaki) combining glossy black, orange, and reddish-brown and yellow accented lacquer. The most unique feature is the motif, a representation of persimmons, (a symbol of autumn, and in Buddhism a symbol of transformation and longevity, a reference to its sharp and bitter unripe taste (maturation), which finally transforms into a sugar-sweet fully ripen entity (wisdom). The texture throughout the piece is extremely deep and carved into the wooden base which is then accentuated by the colored lacquer with multiple coats to give a deep visual quality to this Chabako.

For more information on Lacquerware see: https://mingeiarts.com/blogs/celebration-of-mingei-journey-through-japan/lacquerwork-an-important-intangible-ancient-art

Condition: Excellent to very good, and retaining the original craft/workmanship. The exceptional quality of carving with minimal surface imperfections, no flake-off on the primary surfaces and interior, except for the exterior bottom of the box, and no missing carved elements related to daily use and age. The piece meets all the standards of collectible Japanese Lacquerware.