Seto Yaki Cha-Ire Tea Container In A Shifuku Bag

[Robin]

Not the most common type of tea container. It's used for the koicha ("thick tea") tea ceremony.

Far more common are the lacquered wooden natsume containers used during the usucha ceremony.

 

Nonetheless...they're still around, super cute and very collectable.

 

About the size of a hand grenade.

 

The lid is made of ivory, bone or resin. The inside of the lid is mostly covered with gold leaf.

 

The silk shifuku. Two different ways to tie the knot.

 

Seto-yaki pottery, about 30 years old, made by Yamaguchi Shigeru.

It came in a signed wooden box.

 

It's something different. Hope you like it,

 

Robin

 

 

[ken kata]

HI Robin,

On the lid,

 

If Ivory, look for the Scraggier lines.

The lines look like "Cross Hatch" or curve lines intersecting each other.

90* is Elephant, 120* is Mammoth.. (?)

 

Bone has small pits, like , being "porous"..

 

Resin - Cream color, might have a "Marbling" effect, when they mix the cream  color in the resin.

Some makers tent to not "Stir" the mix, to get that Marbling effect.

 I use a lot of those Cream color resin materials in the stuff I make.

In the industry, one manufacture/seller named it  "Alternative Ivory" ..

I work with these Materials for years.

 

In this World, noting can replace the quality of Ivory.

Looks, machining, finishing.

All was Pre Ban, bought from a "Museum" that had US Documentation to be Legal.

They bought from Big Game Hunter's  Estate sales.  

[TETSUGENDO]

Robin/Alton,

 

Robin, lovely glaze and form, a very attractive piece.  Alton, very good work on the ivory, etc. descriptions.  If I may, although more rarely encountered, lets not forget the various marine ivories- Walrus, Whale(various).  Also, Hippopotamus.

 

Cheers,

[Robin]

Thank you gents,

 

I wasn't clear about the lid of my cha-ire. I refered to cha-ire in general.

Mine has a resin lid..that I knew when I bought it and I don't mind.

 

Importing ivory items from outside the EU in the Netherlands is like playing Russian roulette.

When customs discover ivory you're in all kinds of trouble. Risking a hefty fine and the item might get confiscated and destroyed.

I recently had an inro with a netsuke made of stag antler hold by customs for 2 weeks until they were convinced it wasn't ivory.

 

Robin

[TETSUGENDO]

Robin,

 

Indeed, the Ivory issue has become a nightmare.  Overzealous, ill-informed customs agents can make life miserable, even in the case of legitimate antique items.  

 

Cheers,

[ken kata]

These "Lids" were described as "High Class" material. 

[Robin]

That's the description of ivory used on ebay.

[TETSUGENDO]

"Nudge,nudge....wink,wink.....say no more!"

[Bernard]

Here is my old Bizen chaïre. The damaged ivory lid was repaired with a piece of lacquer.

 

Bernard D 

[Steve Waszak]

That is a beautiful cha-ire, Bernard.  Really, really good. 

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Bernard]

Thanks, Steve !

I appreciate the opinion of a real connoisseur in this field.

Bernard D

[TETSUGENDO]

Nice one Bernard, the "Negoro" repair really adds an interesting element to the mix.

[Robin]

I like it a lot Bernard!

 

I'm a sucker for Bizen and the lacquer repair is beautiful. A nice touch of wabi-sabi. 

 

Robin

[Steve Waszak]

Robin,

 

Agreed:  the lacquer repair is inspired.  But I might suggest that the aesthetic principle here is more shibusa than wabi or sabi...

[Robin]

With a rapidly expanding collection of chawan and other tea utensils I like to know more about the tea ceremony.

 

From the Urasenke Foundation...

 

 

My wife thinks I'm about to lose my mind, but then again...she's used to my seach for "useless knowledge"

 

Robin

[TETSUGENDO]

Robin,

 

The search for knowledge is never useless.

 

 

Cheers,

 

p.s.- the tea ceremony is facinating subject matter, you could well spend many years researching it....enjoy!

[Bazza]

HAHAHAHA - Robin, I was once congratulated by a MIT Graduate for my "useless knowledge".  He said "Barry, you have the most extensive amount of useless knowledge of anyone I know.  Interesting, definitely, but useless".

 

So, here is my contribution to the thread - a mumei fuchigashira of Shishi pups playing with tea-bag cords.

 

BaZZa.

 

[TETSUGENDO]

Charming f/k.