Suzumushi Maki-e Natsume by Suzuya Tetsugorō

This elegant black urushi natsume is a refined example of Japanese lacquerware within tea culture, decorated with an understated suzumushi motif, the Japanese "bell cricket," traditionally associated with late summer and the transition to autumn.

Motif

On the deeply lustrous black lacquer, only a single cricket is depicted, executed in fine gold maki-e. Its wings are subtly enhanced with a mother-of-pearl effect, giving them nuances of blue, violet, and turquoise depending on the light. This minimalist composition creates a quiet, poetic tension between emptiness and detail.

Seasonal Awareness

In Japan, the suzumushi holds a special place in the seasonal experience. The cricket's first song traditionally marks the end of summer when the air cools and nature slowly moves towards autumn. Its sound is perceived as soft, soothing, and almost meditative.

During the Heian and Edo periods, suzumushi were even kept in small bamboo cages by nobles and wealthy families, purely to listen to their song on quiet summer evenings. Listening to crickets was considered a refined form of seasonal awareness, comparable to appreciating poetry, incense, or the tea ceremony.

Symbolism

Because the suzumushi lives for only one season and is audible for only a short time, the cricket became a classic symbol of mono no aware, the poignant awareness of impermanence and the beauty of the moment. Within Japanese tea culture, aesthetics are not about abundance but about subtlety, season, and suggestion.

The suzumushi is therefore a beloved motif in chanoyu, not only for its appearance but especially for the atmosphere it evokes, with cool evenings, silence, attentiveness, and the awareness that beauty is temporary.

Object details

• Title: Suzumushi (鈴虫)
• Type: Ōnatsume (large tea caddy for matcha)
• Artist: Suzutani Tetsugorō (鈴谷鉄五郎)
• Motif: Suzumushi, the Japanese bell cricket
• Technique: Maki-e in gold powder with subtle raden on urushi lacquer
• Decoration style: Minimalist
• Material: Wood with deep black roiro urushi lacquer
• Finish: High-gloss polished lacquer with fine brushwork in gold maki-e
• Color effect: Subtle iridescent color play in the wings (blue, violet, turquoise)
• Diameter: approx. 7 cm
• Height: approx. 7.5 cm
• Period: Late 20th century, Showa to Heisei period
• Origin: Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan
• Usage: Tea ceremony (chanoyu) and collector's item
• Condition: Very good, slight signs of use consistent with age and use
• Special feature: Very understated, typical for tea ceremonial lacquerware
• Accessories: Original tomobako (wooden storage box) with signature
  

Tomobako

The tomobako bears the same signature as the natsume and confirms the work of Suzutani Tetsugorō (鈴谷鉄五郎). The style is late 20th-century Japanese Wajima production, likely intended for use within the tea ceremony. The quality of lacquer maki-e and composition clearly places the work above standard utilitarian pieces.

Signature and Maker

Suzutani Tetsugorō (鈴谷鉄五郎) was a maki-e artist from Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, an important center of traditional Japanese lacquerware. Born in 1932 into a family of lacquerware artisans, he was trained from a young age in the techniques of Wajima nuri, known for its deep luster, durable lacquer layers, and refined gold decoration.

From 1946, he studied under the influential master Ichigo Icchō (一后一兆), after which he started his own studio in 1951. His work developed into an extremely refined style in which seasonal atmosphere, tranquility, and subtlety were central, closely connected to the aesthetics of the Japanese tea ceremony.

His work is characterized by

• extremely fine maki-e brush lines
• subtle use of gold and silver powder
• minimalist compositions
• poetic nature and seasonal motifs

Unlike richly decorated objects, he deliberately chose emptiness and tranquility, giving a single detail, such as this solitary cricket, extra strength and presence.

Suzutani Tetsugorō was later recognized as a traditional master craftsman (Dento Kōgeishi) and was involved in the Wajima Maki-e guild. He received various awards from the city of Wajima and Ishikawa Prefecture for his contribution to the preservation of traditional lacquerware.

The suzumushi natsume is a typical expression of his aesthetic: deep black roiro lacquer, minimal decoration, and a quiet seasonal symbolism that is not immediately obvious but slowly unfolds, precisely as beauty is experienced within tea culture in attention, silence, and impermanence.