Vintage Japanese Tea Ceremony Natsume Black Lacquer Cherry Blossoms 3" Modern unblinking gaze and exaggerated features

unblinking gaze and exaggerated features express spiritual discipline and awakening

Clay: Mino clay (porous

Shinjitai: 天保通宝) was an Edo period coin with a face value of 100 mon

While done in a very traditional Chinese Ming style the fact that a round family crest motif is painted in makie on the back of the chair indicates it's Japanese origin

Vintage Japanese Tea Ceremony Natsume Black Lacquer Cherry Blossoms 3" Modern unblinking gaze and exaggerated featuresThis is a vintage Japanese chu natsume or tea caddy used in the chanoyu tea ceremony. It holds the powdered green tea called matcha. A quality natsume such as this is made of turn wood, typically hinoki or Japanese cypress. The wood is lacquered in the traditional Japanese method with over 20 coats of urushi lacquer. Beautifully decorated in traditional motifs. Having been only very sparingly and lovingly used for decades this natsume remains in fine