{"product_id":"suzumushi-makie-natsume-suzuya-tetsugoro","title":"Suzumushi Maki-e Natsume by Suzuya Tetsugorō","description":"\u003cp data-end=\"259\" data-start=\"0\"\u003eThis elegant black urushi natsume is a refined example of Japanese lacquerware within tea culture, decorated with an understated \u003cstrong\u003esuzumushi\u003c\/strong\u003e motif, the Japanese \"bell cricket,\" traditionally associated with late summer and the transition to autumn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"635\" data-start=\"616\" data-section-id=\"tmdhkq\"\u003eMotif\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"614\" data-start=\"261\"\u003eOn the deeply lustrous black lacquer, only a single cricket is depicted, executed in fine gold maki-e. Its wings are subtly enhanced with a \u003cstrong data-end=\"111\" data-start=\"92\"\u003emother-of-pearl\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"635\" data-start=\"616\" data-section-id=\"tmdhkq\"\u003eSeasonal Awareness\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"939\" data-start=\"637\"\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1286\" data-start=\"941\"\u003eDuring 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"1300\" data-start=\"1288\" data-section-id=\"1tgl7k4\"\u003eSymbolism\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1616\" data-start=\"1302\"\u003eBecause 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1822\" data-start=\"1618\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"17\" data-start=\"0\" data-section-id=\"wc1i6\"\u003eObject details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul data-end=\"1140\" data-start=\"19\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"44\" data-start=\"19\" data-section-id=\"1gza7qn\"\u003eTitle: Suzumushi (鈴虫)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"91\" data-start=\"45\" data-section-id=\"1hftwc7\"\u003eType: Ōnatsume (large tea caddy for matcha)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"145\" data-start=\"92\" data-section-id=\"1mlcrhd\"\u003eArtist: \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eSuzutani Tetsugorō (鈴谷鉄五郎)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"189\" data-start=\"146\" data-section-id=\"190hirb\"\u003eMotif: Suzumushi, the Japanese bell cricket\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"275\" data-start=\"190\" data-section-id=\"108cp2k\"\u003eTechnique: Maki-e in gold powder with subtle raden on urushi lacquer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"360\" data-start=\"276\" data-section-id=\"16pr3lt\"\u003eDecoration style: Minimalist\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"412\" data-start=\"361\" data-section-id=\"jj49m\"\u003eMaterial: Wood with deep black roiro urushi lacquer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"487\" data-start=\"413\" data-section-id=\"oqot0d\"\u003eFinish: High-gloss polished lacquer with fine brushwork in gold maki-e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"586\" data-start=\"488\" data-section-id=\"oi6z42\"\u003eColor effect: Subtle iridescent color play in the wings (blue, violet, turquoise)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"609\" data-start=\"587\" data-section-id=\"1mpla4g\"\u003eDiameter: approx. 7 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"632\" data-start=\"610\" data-section-id=\"1e629k0\"\u003eHeight: approx. 7.5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"685\" data-start=\"633\" data-section-id=\"bvj13p\"\u003ePeriod: Late 20th century, Showa to Heisei period\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"734\" data-start=\"686\" data-section-id=\"43owqw\"\u003eOrigin: Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"789\" data-start=\"735\" data-section-id=\"1sqz1bw\"\u003eUsage: Tea ceremony (chanoyu) and collector's item\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"868\" data-start=\"790\" data-section-id=\"1va6258\"\u003eCondition: Very good, slight signs of use consistent with age and use\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"972\" data-start=\"869\" data-section-id=\"vrw5z\"\u003eSpecial feature: Very understated, typical for tea ceremonial lacquerware\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"1042\" data-start=\"973\" data-section-id=\"1af4moz\"\u003eAccessories: Original tomobako (wooden storage box) with signature\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"1835\" data-start=\"1824\" data-section-id=\"999xej\"\u003eTomobako\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2324\" data-start=\"1837\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"2347\" data-start=\"2326\" data-section-id=\"14w6rvu\"\u003eSignature and Maker\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2704\" data-start=\"2349\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eSuzutani Tetsugorō\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e (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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3006\" data-start=\"2706\"\u003eFrom 1946, he studied under the influential master \u003cstrong\u003eIchigo Icchō (一后一兆)\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3036\" data-start=\"3008\"\u003eHis work is characterized by\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"3186\" data-start=\"3038\"\u003eextremely fine maki-e brush lines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"3186\" data-start=\"3038\"\u003esubtle use of gold and silver powder\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"3186\" data-start=\"3038\"\u003eminimalist compositions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli data-end=\"3186\" data-start=\"3038\"\u003epoetic nature and seasonal motifs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3368\" data-start=\"3188\"\u003eUnlike richly decorated objects, he deliberately chose emptiness and tranquility, giving a single detail, such as this solitary cricket, extra strength and presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3641\" data-start=\"3370\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eSuzutani Tetsugorō\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e was later recognized as a traditional master craftsman \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cb id=\"docs-internal-guid-f88ebc9f-7fff-2941-0483-8039138da178\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(Dento Kōgeishi)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-is-only-node=\"\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-end=\"3946\" data-start=\"3643\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thee van Anke","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54093935968602,"sku":null,"price":315.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/2799\/7530\/files\/20260429_200240_3.jpg?v=1779704989","url":"https:\/\/www.vananke.com\/products\/suzumushi-makie-natsume-suzuya-tetsugoro","provider":"vananke","version":"1.0","type":"link"}