Tea container, koma type

Object Details

• Artist

  Watanabe Kisaburo

• Description

  Red and black lacquered tea caddy (natsume) with brown concentric snake-eye (janome) pattern on convex red lacquered lid.

  a. koma (a spinning top toy) natsume, wood base with red, black, and brown lacquer on exterior, wood color and grain as well as lathe marks visible under clear lacquer on interior, small scratch on interior well of vessel perhaps resulting from the making process

  b. slightly convex lacquered natsume lid, two concentric brown circles over red in snake-eye (janome) pattern on lid's exterior, wood color, grain, and lathe marks visible in interior under a layer of clear lacquer

  c. brown and green silk lattice-patterned storage bag (shifuku) with purple silk interior and purple cord

  d. green cotton cloth for wrapping

  e. strip of white silk cloth for wrapping

  f. paulownia wood storage box, flat tan leather cords, bottom inscribed "Watanabe / Kisaburo" and impressed with maker's seal in relief

  g. paulownia wood storage box lid inscribed "koma natsume"

  h. square paper-covered cardboard with gold edging (shikishi)

  i. green, raw-edged cotton wrapping cloth

  j. wooden kura tag inscribed "Kisaburo / koma natsume"

• Inscriptions

  Wooden kura tag inscribed "Kisaburo / koma natsume."

• Collection

  Freer Study Collection

• Origin

  Tokyo, Japan

• Credit Line

  The Kinsey Chanoyu Collection, Gift of Gregory Kinsey

• Type

  Container

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1900s, 1950s

• Name

  Watanabe, Kisaburo

• Place

  Tokyo, Japan

• Topic

  Art, The Kinsey Chanoyu Collection, Japanese Art, Lacquer, Tea ceremony

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Containers