Makita Yoshisho Naruko Maki-e Chu-natsume, Tame-nuri Lacquer Tea Caddy

Experience Authentic Japan Art with this Natsume Tea Caddy. This Maki-e Lacquer piece features a Naruko Motif with Gold Maki-e detail in the Tame-nuri Finish tradition. A distinguished Tea Ceremony vessel and Matcha Container crafted by Makita Yoshisho with Signed Wooden Box—a must-have Lacquerware Art and Chanoyu Utensil for any collector seeking Autumn Harvest Art.

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🔹 [ Basic Details ]

• Artist: Makita Yoshisho (牧田芳祥)
• Form: Chu-natsume (medium tea caddy)
• Technique: Tame-nuri lacquer with gold maki-e decoration
• Motif: Naruko (bird-clappers), rice stalks (稲穂), fans (扇), flying birds
• Dimensions: Diameter approx. 6.7 cm, Height approx. 6.9 cm
• Box: Signed tomobako with artist's seal
• Condition: New/unused — pristine storage piece
• Origin: Japan
• Era: Contemporary (Heisei–Reiwa period)

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🔹 [ Cultural & Artistic Insight ]

This medium tea caddy (chu-natsume) is lacquered in tame-nuri — a translucent burgundy-brown finish that reveals subtle wood grain beneath, creating depth and warmth. The gold maki-e decoration depicts naruko (鳴子), traditional wooden bird-clappers once hung in rice paddies to protect ripening crops. Surrounding the clappers are delicate rice stalks, folding fans, and small birds in flight — imagery that evokes late summer and early autumn harvest festivals.

Makita Yoshisho's work demonstrates precise maki-e technique: fine gold powder is sprinkled onto wet lacquer to create raised, luminous designs. The naruko motif is both nostalgic and playful, referencing rural agrarian life while celebrating the seasonal rhythms central to tea practice. The combination of tame-nuri's quiet elegance and gold maki-e's festive detail creates a tea caddy suited for autumn gatherings, moon-viewing tea ceremonies, or any occasion honoring harvest and abundance.

"The clapper sounds against silence — gold ripens in the afternoon field."

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🔹 [ Deep-Dive Commentary ]

**Naruko — Cultural Symbolism & Seasonal Resonance**: Naruko (鳴子) are simple wooden devices strung across rice fields, designed to make noise when pulled or blown by wind, scaring away birds before harvest. In tea culture and decorative arts, naruko appear as symbols of autumn, agricultural heritage, and the quiet diligence of rural life. Their presence on this tea caddy signals seasonal awareness — the piece is especially fitting for late summer and autumn tea gatherings (aki no chaji) when harvest themes dominate. The inclusion of fans (扇) and flying birds adds layers of meaning: fans suggest elegance and the cooling of late summer heat, while birds evoke freedom and the transience of seasonal migration.

**Tame-nuri Lacquer — Depth Through Translucency**: Tame-nuri (溜塗) is a lacquer technique that applies translucent reddish-brown lacquer over a base layer, allowing the underlying texture or color to subtly show through. This creates a sense of visual depth — the surface seems to glow from within, especially when light catches the polished curves of the natsume. Tame-nuri is warmer and softer than black lacquer (kuro-nuri) and is often chosen for tea caddies meant to evoke autumnal warmth and maturity.

**Makita Yoshisho — Artisan & Tomobako Authentication**: The signed wooden box (tomobako) accompanying this natsume includes the artist's name, the object's title ("Tame-nuri Naruko Maki-e Chu-natsume"), and a red seal, providing authentication. In tea practice, presenting a tea caddy with its original box signals respect for the object's lineage and the care with which it has been preserved.

**Usage in Chanoyu — Seasonal Selection**: In formal tea gatherings, the selection of a tea caddy is never arbitrary. The host considers the season, the occasion, the guests, and the overall aesthetic theme (toriawase) of the ceremony. A naruko-motif natsume would be chosen for autumn gatherings, particularly those held in rural or agricultural contexts, or for tea meetings themed around harvest, moon-viewing (tsukimi), or gratitude for nature's abundance.

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[ JAPANESE DESCRIPTION / 日本語解説 ]

🔹 [ 基本情報 ]

• 作家：牧田芳祥
• 形状：中棗（濃茶・薄茶兼用）
• 技法：溜塗・金蒔絵
• 意匠：鳴子・稲穂・扇・小鳥
• 寸法：直径約6.7cm、高さ約6.9cm
• 付属：共箱（作者銘・朱印）
• 状態：新品未使用保管品

🔹 [ 解説 ]

牧田芳祥作による溜塗鳴子蒔絵中棗です。深みのある溜塗の地に、金蒔絵で鳴子（田畑を守る鳥威し）、稲穂、扇、小鳥が描かれています。鳴子は秋の収穫期を象徴する意匠であり、晩夏から初秋の茶会に相応しい季節感を持ちます。

溜塗は透明感のある赤褐色の漆で、下地の木目が透けて見えることで独特の温かみと深みを生み出します。金蒔絵の華やかさと溜塗の落ち着いた色調が調和し、茶席に静かな品格をもたらします。

共箱には「溜塗 鳴子蒔絵 中棗 芳祥」と墨書され、朱印が押されています。新品未使用の保管品で、状態は良好です。月見や収穫をテーマとした茶会に特に適しています。

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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