You might have noticed that I’ve been a little negligent in my posts lately. So I figured it was about time to get the ball rolling again, and what could be better than a nice Yatate to give that ball a push. Unfortunately, as crafty as the Japanese are, there is no digital version yet available; so I must use my QWERTY keyboard to write this post. I hope you don’t mind.

Traditionally, writing utensuls were separate items, and preparation was a timely process,. You had your brush (fude), and an ink stick (sumi) which you ground upon your ink stone (suzuri) till you got the right consistency. But during the Kamakura era (1185-1333), things changed. Someone figured out that if you put some cotton in a box (sumi tsubo) you could keep wet ink around, like the Western inkwell. Someone also decided that if you made the box longer, you could also store some brushes. Over time the design was modified, the ink box got deeper and the brush area narrowed, giving birth to the Yatate (which also later metamorphed into various forms). Depicted above is the most common form which could simply be stuffed into the obi (sash) for transport.

As a craftsman, I came to know about Yatate because I had the woodworking version, known simply as Sumitsubo. Consisting of an inkwell attached to a spool of string with a pin on the end. You pull the string through the inkwell, attach the pin to the end of a piece of wood and stretch the string across to the other end. With a little tug you snap the string and create a line on your workpiece. Thus you have the Japanese equivalent of the Western chalk line, depicted below. Cool huh?

If I had a zashiki or dei (main entertaining tatami room), this is one piece I would definitely want to put in it. An amazing Sendai tansu with beautiful hardware. This was definitely a showpiece for an affluent merchant to display while he was entertaining guests.

Although I believe this to actually represent the fourth stage of Sendai evolution (late Meiji or early Taisho) due to the fact that is a stacking piece, the floriate button on the lockplate is non existant, meaning that it has a double action lock (urajo), it has mokko style handles which replaced the earlier warabite style, and the lockplates are also embossed and incised with beatiful depictions of what I think are shishi (lion-dogs of protection).

Exhibiting a nice Kijiro laquer finish over a nice reddish stain on the Keyaki wood, this piece definitely presents an impressive display of craftsmanship.

Another nice thing I would like to point out is the corner hardware (which I believe is called herikanagu). Nicely incised, this also points out how with the introduction of sheet metal at the end of the Meiji era, the craftsmen were able to spend more time on the decoration instead of just on fabrication of hardware, therefore adding to the aesthetic qualities of the pieces. And hey, if I was a wealthy merchant that had to hide my wealth due to the Edo era edicts, once the Meiji restoration hit, I would have jumped on all this ornamentation as well.

Here is a nice example of a Japanese writing box. These were used, as the name implies, to store the necessary items for writing as well as providing document storage. Here you would find a suzuri (inkstone), sumi (ink), fude (brushes), paper, paperweights, hanko (personal seal), as well as any other things related to writing. What is interesting to me is how the original Kakesuzuri chests (of which this is not one) influenced the original funa dansu (sea chests). Another interesting note is how kakesuzuri persisted as the name for this type of chest, and was changed depending on what region you were in to suzuri bako.

This piece got my attention because it was the first time I came across a chest with some true provenance. This is signed and dated by the maker, Kimura Magoemon, in 1880, and lists who it was made for, Sakamoto-san of Sekimura. Sugoi, ne! With a little TLC this could be a nice inclusion to your collection. The price is cheap, $250.00, but the auction is up in mere hours. Going once, going twice…

Here we have another fine example of Nihonmatsu region cabinetmaking. I won’t go into so much detail, as I previously described the style here in a previous post. I just want to point out the things that I find interesting with this piece that I haven’t seen before.

The coolest attribute that this piece has are the brass butterfly sliding keyhole covers. The butterflies and the various positions they are placed in lend and amazing lightness to the piece. Depending on the position the covers are left in, it almost seems as if there are butterflies flitting all across the tansu. The contrasting brass color helps them to stand out, creating an amazing visual element, enticing the eye to wander across the piece. I especially like the way the butterfly actually cantilevers over the edge of the jomae (lockplate) on the safe door. Totemo sugoi, ne! The lockplates also have nice depictions of cherry blossoms, bamboo, and pine boughs.

I also would like to point out the butterfly protective plates for the warabite handles and how they are unusually canted to either side, furthering the floating effect. This has got to be one of the most aesthetically enticing pieces I’ve ever come across. Click on one of the pictures to go to the listing for more images, you won’t regret it.

OK, I just had to do a post on this piece since I wrote about Te-kagami (hand mirrors) earlier here. This type of furniture basically came about during the Meiji era. The style changed over time in the successive Taisho and Showa eras due to women’s dressing needs changing and the influx of western mirror imports. This piece is from the Meiji era as it’s holder is for the older style mirror as well as the cabinetry resembling traditional styles. Later Kyodai incorporated tall western style mirrors and exhibited much more decorative grained woods. Made out of Keyaki (Japanese Elm) and joined using hanken shiki (finger joints), with hirute (leech style) handles over incised toshi-zagane (backplates). Maybe not the most elaborate of pieces, but at least it’s a style that you dont see all to often, being overshadowed in the market by clothing and kitchen chests. All in all, an interesting tansu.