Japanese Natural Form Wood Tobacco Smoking Set Tabako-bon

This beautiful old Japanese Tobacco Smoking Set is called Tabako-bon  it was used with a traditional Japanese smoking pipes called kiseru and the Tabako-bon was used for guests to smoke together.  Tabako bon which they would offer the guest a puff before tea was served. Tabako bon also became part of the tea ceremony entertainment. In this way, kiseru was profoundly connected to life and traditional culture in Japan.

The natural form of the wood and the dark rich patina makes this object look similar to a scholars object or Okimono display object because of its quiet beauty.  It has a functional aspect as an ashtray for pipe smoking but the shape of the wood is pure form.

Dating from the late 19th to early 20th Century.

The form is Wabi-Sabi  In Zen philosophy there are seven aesthetic principles for achieving Wabi-Sabi as listed below;

Fukinsei (不均斉): asymmetry, irregularity;

Kanso (簡素): simplicity;

Koko (考古): basic, weathered;

Shizen (自然): without pretence, natural;

Yugen (幽玄): subtly profound grace, not obvious;

Datsuzoku (脱俗): unbounded by convention, free;

I bought this object because I knew right away that I would never get tired of looking at it or touching the warm beautiful wood.

Provenance: Old Australian Collection. The Todd Barlin Collection of Asian Art & Buddhist Art

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