A chu-natsume tea caddy by Nakamura Soetsu. Vermillion lacquer ground with tachi-bina (standing Hina court dolls) rendered in gold maki-e. Male figure on lid, female figure on body. Black lacquer interior. Hina Matsuri seasonal piece. Signed tomobako included. Japanese lacquer natsume. Tachi-bina maki-e. Hina Matsuri. Seasonal tea caddy. Shared wooden box. Girls Day lacquerware.
🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ] Dimensions: H approx. 7 cm, D approx. 6.7 cm Form: Chu-natsume (medium size) Condition: Good condition; lacquer vivid and intact, black interior clean Provenance: Original signed tomobako (with cloth) SKU: 260228_a_2195
Phase C — Cultural & Artistic Insight: Hina Matsuri — the Doll Festival on the third day of the third month — is one of the oldest seasonal observances in the Japanese calendar. The tachi-bina form, standing dolls rather than seated court figures, represents an earlier tradition: simpler, more direct, closer to the folk origins of the festival before it acquired the elaborate tiered displays of the Edo period.
Nakamura Soetsu places these figures on vermillion — the color of protection, of ceremony, of the threshold between ordinary and sacred. The male figure stands on the lid with his tall black hat and pine-patterned kimono. The female figure continues on the body below. Together they constitute a pair only when the natsume is assembled.
Phase D — Deep-Dive Commentary: The seasonal tea caddy is one of the most particular objects in the Chado tradition. It belongs to a specific moment in the year. Outside that moment, it waits — in its box, in its cloth — for the season to return.
This quality of waiting is not waste. It is the same principle that governs the garden: what is absent makes room for what arrives. Nakamura Soetsu understood that making a seasonal piece was making an object whose fullest life is measured in days per year, not continuous possession. That is a different kind of making.
Phase E — Shipping: Ships from Japan. Carefully packed with bubble wrap and double-boxed for safe international transit. Tracking provided on all orders. Import duties and taxes are the responsibility of the buyer. Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery. Combined shipping available — please contact us before purchasing multiple items.
🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ] • Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days • Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking) • Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials • Insurance: Included for all shipments • Note: Import duties and taxes may apply depending on your country's regulations
