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MINGEI: TWO SUPERB KEYAKI WOOD SERVING TRAYS; JAPAN browse these categories for related items... Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Wood: Pre 1920: item # 598300 Please refer to our stock # j-5 when inquiring.
Ruyi Studio San Francisco By Appointment San Francisco, CA 94131 415.990.3524 Guest Book $750.00 |
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| TWO FINE JAPANESE MINGEI KEYAKI WOOD SERVING TRAYS (Japanese Arts & Crafts). These two wooden servings which probably saw use during tea ceremony are obviously related yet quite different in size and decoration. Their form and decoration evince a cooperation between the artist/craftsman and the natural characteristics of the cured keyaki wood in much the same way that certain potters allowed tea bowls to assume their own form and color in the kiln within certain prescribed limits. The larger tray is perhaps the finest. The interior suggest a naturally formed pool and the choice wood has a highly picturesque grain. The lip is an interplay between natural, rough edges and carved, elongated and ovoid finger holes. The placement of these ‘finger holes’ was actually determined by swirling patterns in the wood grain although this is not immediately obvious upon first acquaintance with this object. The underside of the tray is perhaps more conventionally ‘decorated’ with meticulous scales, suggesting the skin of a dragon or snake. The entire tray has been evenly polished with a clear lacquer. The smaller tray was probably made by the same artist, from a different section of the same wood having somewhat different characteristics to which the artist remained true. It is a smaller but bolder tray than the larger one. The delicate picturesque grain is less pronounced. It is jagged and more angular than the larger tray in every respect. Although this tray has a clear lacquer finish, the wood has been left unpolished areas and has darkened. The finger holes on the lip are irregular. Even the decoration to the underside of this tray consists of a series of deep grooves which abruptly change direction with the shape of the wood. The trays were probably created as an unmatched set and are rather complimentary when side-by-side. Both are in excellent condition with only superficial hairlines, abrasions and faint scratching. Dimensions & Weight: Both trays are irregular in form. The largest measures approximately 32.5cm x 27cm (13” x 10-1/2”) and weighs 1kg 167g (2 lbs 9.1 ounces); the smaller tray measures 24cm x 20cm and weighs 532 g (1 lb. 2.7 ounces). ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. Copyright 2006 by Robert McCaffrey for Ruyi Studio San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. | ||
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