{"product_id":"japanese-lacquer-natsume-tea-caddy-makie-chrysanthemum-pine-camellia-showa","title":"Japanese Lacquer Natsume Tea Caddy | Makie Chrysanthemum Pine Camellia | Showa","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003enatsume\u003c\/strong\u003e (棗 — named for its resemblance to the jujube fruit) is the most intimate object in the Japanese tea ceremony. When the host prepares \u003cem\u003eusucha\u003c\/em\u003e (薄茶, thin matcha), it is the natsume that holds the bright green powder, that is wiped with the \u003cem\u003efukusa\u003c\/em\u003e (袱紗, folded silk cloth) in the ceremony's most meditative gesture, and that is passed, lid open, to the guest for inspection. Unlike the \u003cem\u003echaire\u003c\/em\u003e (茶入, ceramic caddy used for \u003cem\u003ekoicha\u003c\/em\u003e thick tea), which carries formality and weight, the natsume carries warmth — it is the object of the everyday tea, the shared moment, the unhurried afternoon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThis natsume is made in the \u003cstrong\u003eurushi lacquer\u003c\/strong\u003e (漆, Japanese lacquer) tradition on a wooden body, finished in deep \u003cstrong\u003ekuro-nuri\u003c\/strong\u003e (黒塗り — black lacquer ground) that absorbs light completely. The decoration is \u003cstrong\u003emakie\u003c\/strong\u003e (蒔絵 — \"sprinkled picture\"), the quintessential Japanese lacquer technique: gold powder is sprinkled onto wet lacquer, dried, and polished, creating images of extraordinary delicacy and permanence. The decorative program — \u003cstrong\u003ekiku\u003c\/strong\u003e (菊 — chrysanthemum, in its formal radial form), \u003cstrong\u003ematsu\u003c\/strong\u003e (松 — pine needle clusters in fan arrangement), and \u003cstrong\u003etsubaki\u003c\/strong\u003e (椿 — camellia, in red and gold layered petals) — constitutes Japan's classic winter tea room motif set. The chrysanthemum, unfading; the pine, evergreen; the camellia, blooming through frost: three symbols of endurance in the season when the \u003cem\u003ero\u003c\/em\u003e (炉, the sunken hearth) is open and the tea room is at its most intimate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe camellia (\u003cem\u003etsubaki\u003c\/em\u003e) holds special meaning in tea culture: it is the flower most associated with the \u003cem\u003echashitsu\u003c\/em\u003e (茶室, tea room), planted beside the \u003cem\u003eroji\u003c\/em\u003e (露地, garden path), and floated in the \u003cem\u003etokonoma\u003c\/em\u003e vase during winter gatherings. Its appearance here — large, layered, in crimson and gold against the black ground — is precisely calibrated for the winter season this natsume was designed to serve. A \u003cstrong\u003egold rim\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003ekinriku\u003c\/em\u003e, 金縁) runs the circumference where lid meets body, a mark of quality makie work. The interior is smooth black lacquer, ready to receive matcha.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eFor the practicing tea ceremony host, this is a fully functional, seasonally appropriate natsume for the \u003cem\u003ero\u003c\/em\u003e season (November through April). For the collector, it is a compact, exquisitely decorated example of Showa-period Japanese makie lacquerware — a tradition with over a thousand years of continuous practice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eVery good condition. Lacquer surfaces intact on both lid and body. Decoration clear and unfaded. No chips, cracks, or crazing. Lid fits body correctly. Showa period, c. 1960–1980.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chikoyaki","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45400589729871,"sku":"CHK-LAC-NAT-202605-001","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0667\/6588\/1423\/files\/IMG_5062_result.jpg?v=1780301469","url":"https:\/\/chikoyaki.com\/products\/japanese-lacquer-natsume-tea-caddy-makie-chrysanthemum-pine-camellia-showa","provider":"Chikoyaki","version":"1.0","type":"link"}