Antique Japanese Te-aburi Brazier
Japanese Antique Echizen yaki Daruma Brazier, (Hand Warmer) | Daruma Te-aburi Brazier
Age:Meiji 14
Descriptive qualities& condition:
Dimensions: 6-1/2”h x 6-1/2” dia.
Offered is a 19th-century Meiji period Japanese “Echizen Ware”, stoneware whimsical and utilitarian brazier, in the form of Akubi Daruma, (“Yawning Daruma”, which is not socially correct behavior, but to stretch your arms and back and take a deep breath brings oxygen to your brain and helps your mind to stay sharp, and a popular symbol of perseverance). The object is designed to be used as a hand warmer, showing his arms raised out of his Kāṣāya, (hooded cloak), and above his head, showing “age-worn” hands and fingers detailed in high relief, interlocked to form an ample carrying handle.
He is shown yawning, after days of long meditation, opening his mouth widely, creating the opening of the hand warmer. The incredible details are realistically rendered, including wide expressive eyes with pupils, his crane-like eyebrows, for which he is known, a wide nose, and an open mouth with detailed teeth. His cowl, which is a signature detail, covers his head and drapes down the back of the warmer. The inside is hollowed out to accept black sand on which fragrant wood chips, (cedar, pine, sandalwood, and rosewood) were placed on top of charcoal for heating and to provide a pleasing atmosphere. The glazing on this piece is beautifully executed highlighting the diverse elements including his mouth and teeth which are off-white, matching his eyes. Objects such as this were created to appeal to the personal tastes of their owner.
This is a beautifully modeled piece of pottery created by a ceramic master. On the back of the object is the identification inscribed, and the translation states that the piece was made as an award for the 4th National Bookbinding Award, Meiji 14 (1881), which was celebrating Zen's assimilation into Japanese culture. The script signature, (Shinzou or Soetsu), is on the left in pencil under the glaze. The brazier was purchased from an antique shop in Kanazawa, Japan in 1980.
Condition: Excellent condition and wear consistent affording the stoneware warmer elegance. No chips, No breakage, no missing elements. Meets all the Museum standards of collectible Folk Art.
NOTE: Echizen ware, (called Echizen yaki in Japanese), is a type of pottery produced in the town of Echizen, Fukui prefecture. This traditional handicraft comes from one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan which along with Bizen, Tamba, Tokoname, Seto, and Shigaraki, are the most outstanding Japanese kilns with traditions that remain even today.
Echizen ware is notable for being fired without the use of enamel, and pieces are often not decorated either, resulting in a simple texture. One of the appeals of Echizen ware is its natural glaze that comes from firewood ash covering, and dissolving into the pieces as they are baked at a high temperature. Therefore the pieces are classified as stoneware, between pottery and porcelain, also called yakishime or semi-porcelain. The contribution of Zen to Japanese culture is profound, and much of what the West admires in Japanese art today can be traced to Zen influences on Japanese ceramics architecture, poetry, painting, calligraphy, gardening, flower arrangement, and the tea ceremony. A group of Echizen ware products was centered around items used in everyday life, including guinomi, sake tokkkuri, braziers, ikebana wares, and roof tiles incorporating a dark reddish-brown and ash grey, thoroughly densified, and strong.
Te-aburi Brazier is a small portable fireplace, which was originally transported from room to room so as to warm hands and drink tea. The construction of Japanese houses was not meant to heat a room and living with nature was considered an integral part of daily life. Custom demanded that whenever a visitor arrived, the first act of hospitality would be to set a heating brazier in front of the guest. In this case, the wide ample mouth opening allowed heat to rise up from the figure.
