Japanese Keyaki Zelkova Wood Hira Natsume Take Bamboo Makie Tea Caddy

Japanese Keyaki Zelkova Wood Hira Natsume Take Bamboo Makie Tea Caddy

Japan, Showa period 

2 in H × 3 in dia (5 × 8 cm); Weight: under 1 lb (under 0.5 kg)

A hira-natsume (平棗) turned from keyaki (欅, Japanese zelkova), finished to celebrate the wood's exceptional natural figure rather than conceal it. The body displays the bold, tightly compressed grain rings characteristic of aged zelkova — warm amber and chocolate tones with a silken surface — while the broad domed lid is decorated in restrained gold makie with a composition of take (竹, bamboo) culms and foliage, rendered in fine hira-makie against the natural wood ground. The contrast between the organic grain and the refined gold brushwork is quietly sophisticated. The interior reveals a full cross-section of the tree's growth rings in a striking target pattern. The wide flat form — suited to Omotesenke-style practice — seats cleanly with a smooth-fitting lid.

Condition: Very good; wood surface sound, makie decoration intact, no cracks or repairs noted.

A wabi-inflected natsume of genuine material quality, where the zelkova itself is as much the subject as the decoration.