Haizaji Ash Spoon by Kita Shobei - Cloud Inlay Ironwork with Signed Box

Experience authentic Japanese metalwork with this Haizaji Ash Spoon by Kita Shobei. This Tea Ceremony Metal Tool serves as an Iron Ash Scoop Japan piece and Ro Hearth Utensil, featuring Gold Silver Cloud Inlay and Master Artisan Craftsmanship—a must-have for any Collector seeking Traditional Chado Implements and genuine Signed Tomobako Art.

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🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]

• Artist: Kita Shobei (喜多庄兵衛) – master metalworker
• Type: Haizaji (灰匙) – ash spoon for ro season
• Technique: Forged iron with gold/silver cloud inlay (zōgan)
• Era: Contemporary – Showa to Heisei period
• Origin: Japan
• Dimensions: Length approx. 25 cm (estimated)
• Box: Tomobako (artist-signed wooden box) with seal
• Condition: Excellent – no damage or wear

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🔹 [ CULTURAL & ARTISTIC INSIGHT ]

The haizaji is the tea practitioner's tool for shaping and smoothing the ash bed within the sunken hearth. In the hands of a skilled host, it becomes an instrument of artistic expression—the ash surface receiving patterns and textures that complement the season, the occasion, and the spirit of the gathering.

This exceptional haizaji by Kita Shobei elevates a functional tool to the realm of fine art. The spoon's face features elegant cloud motifs (kumo) inlaid in gold and silver against the deep iron ground—a technique requiring exceptional skill to execute. The clouds seem to drift across a twilight sky, transforming a practical implement into a meditation on impermanence.

*"Clouds of gold upon iron darkness—even tools may hold the sky."*

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🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ]

**The Kita Shobei Lineage**: The Kita workshop has produced distinguished metalworkers across multiple generations, contributing refined implements to the tea ceremony world. Their work is characterized by technical excellence married to restrained aesthetic sensibility—never ostentatious, always harmonious with tea's spirit of elegant simplicity.

**Zōgan Inlay Technique**: The cloud decoration demonstrates traditional Japanese metal inlay (象嵌). Channels are carved into the iron surface, then filled with precious metal wire or sheet, hammered flush, and polished. The contrast between dark iron and luminous gold/silver creates a dramatic effect that becomes more beautiful as the iron develops its natural patina over time.

**Practical Artistry**: Unlike purely decorative objects, the haizaji must function perfectly. The spoon's curve, edge angle, and handle balance are calculated for comfortable use during the precise movements of ash arrangement. Kita Shobei's pieces satisfy both the hand and the eye.

**Seasonal Context**: This ro-style haizaji is designed for the winter hearth season (November–April). The cloud motif is seasonally appropriate for autumn through winter gatherings, suggesting the changing skies of those contemplative months.

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🔹 [ 日本語解説 ]

【基本情報】
• 作家：喜多庄兵衛
• 種類：炉用灰匙
• 技法：鍛鉄、金銀雲象嵌
• 時代：昭和〜平成
• 寸法：全長約25cm（推定）
• 付属：共箱（印あり）
• 状態：良好（傷なし）

【解説】
灰匙は、炉の灰形を整えるための道具であり、茶人の技量と美意識が如実に現れる場面で用いられます。本作は名工・喜多庄兵衛による逸品で、鉄地に金銀の雲文を象嵌した格調高い意匠が見事です。

象嵌とは、金属の表面に溝を彫り、そこに異なる金属を嵌め込む技法。深い鉄黒に浮かぶ金銀の雲は、秋から冬にかけての移ろう空を思わせます。共箱に庄兵衛の銘と印があり、来歴は明確。実用と鑑賞を兼ね備えた、茶道具コレクターに相応しい一品です。

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🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ]
• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days
• Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking)
• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials