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japanese antique imari sake offering bottles with brass flame, kamidana prayer tools
japanese antique imari sake offering bottles with brass flame, kamidana prayer tools
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¥34,694 JPY
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¥34,694 JPY
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Love Japanese Style Like We Do
A lovely pair of Meiji Era Japanese heishi-guchi (sake bottles) with an omiki-guchi (flame shape decoration). Representing water and fire, the two elements seen necessary for purification in Japanese religion, they are offered at the kamidana (home altar).
The ceramic heishi guchi are quite large, heavy and sturdy vessels. They are Imari inban (transfer ware) and are a beautiful bright shade of indigo blue on white. They are decorated with the auspicious shochikubai (plum, pine and bamboo) motif. The heishi guchi are in good antique condition with no cracks or chips.
The brass omiki-guchi are shaped like the ones folded from washi paper, and have lines etched into the surface representing the folds in the paper. They have the signs of long use with a darkened patina and areas of tarnish.
A pair of flames in sake bottles are placed either side of the shrine on the kamidana (god shelf), particularly at New Year. Older pieces, like these, look great together with antique kamidana shrines.
- measures in total (flame and sake bottle) 20 cm (7.9”) high x 7 cm (2.7”) across.
- weighs 240 gm.
(listing for pair of sake bottles with flame)
SHIPPING INFORMATION
- please read the notes in our shipping policy.
- we use recycle packaging wherever possible and wrap for safety, rather than appearance!
ABOUT OUR VINTAGE AND ANTIQUE ITEMS
We list pieces we feel are worthy of display. There may be scratches, dents, fading and signs of wear and tear. We try to explain the condition of each item exactly, but may miss something.
Information regarding the item and it’s age is obtained from dealers and our personal research. We do our best to give you the correct information but please be aware that we cannot guarantee this information.
Please message us prior to purchase with any questions you may have about our products.
OMIKI-GUCHI
Omiki-guchi literally means, sacred sake mouth. A stylized flame, representing fire, that springs from the mouth of a sacred sake bottle, representing water. In Japanese religion, fire and water are the origins of human life and are the means by which man can purify himself. Symbols of these two staples, are important sacred tools to be offered at the Japanese home altar. An open flame was not a good idea for the home, so finely crafted wood and metal replicas came into being. The style of these mingei flames differed depending on the local area where they were made, with techniques being passed down through generations.
The wooden flames are particularly beautiful, hand crafted into delicately scented flames from Yoshino hinoki, a variety of particularly fragrant Japanese cypress. Some are very decorative, being made in a net or complex twisted pattern of wood strips. Only straight grained wood, free of knots is used, and only hinoki is flexible and strong enough to be cut into the fine strips, necessary for fitting together the pieces into a crosshatch net pattern.
.In Japan, New Year is a time for change and new hope. The house is thoroughly cleaned, as is the home altar. This is when a new special pair of mingei flames are displayed on the kamidana, to start the year off right.
With the advent of electricity and low wattage candle lamps, the popularity of Omiki-guchi declined, but there does seem to be a new interest and appreciation of this folk art recently.
SHOCHIKUBAI - THE LUCKY PINE TREE, PLUM BLOSSOM AND BAMBOO SYMBOL.
Pine tree
A pine tree represents the ability to weather hard times. A pine tree’s roots are tenacious and will burrow deep to find their way to hold fast on even the craggiest, rock-strewn outcropping. They endure, no matter what the circumstances.
Plum blossoms
In Japan the plum tree is the first to bud and blossom in the late winter, even when its limbs may remain snow-laden: the plum gives us hope, showing us that spring and new opportunities for beauty and joy are just around the corner.
Bamboo
Bamboo finds it’s strength in knowing how to give and bend without breaking when even the strongest winds blow.
JAPANESE TRANSFERWARE (INBAN)
Japanese transferware (Inban) was produced mainly in the Imari and Seto regions from the late Edo era for regular people of limited means. The porcelain was heavy and durable. The complex designs were either transferred in full or a combination of transfer and hand painting was used. Early inban ware, in the Edo era, was made with paper stencils (shiban). Later in the Meiji era, the doban-copper stencil technique was used. The copper stencils were handmade and hand applied, a rather difficult process, but the stencil could be reused. As the application was done by hand mistakes were not uncommon. Inban ware was prone to smudging and transfer misplacement. This was common and quite normal for pieces of the period. Areas where the design did not match up completely and even sometimes large holes in the design were often seen. This would have been totally unacceptable in the porcelain for noble households with their formal ceremonies. Inban ware, however, was for everyday use by the common people, so minor imperfections and flaws were no problem at all!
A lovely pair of Meiji Era Japanese heishi-guchi (sake bottles) with an omiki-guchi (flame shape decoration). Representing water and fire, the two elements seen necessary for purification in Japanese religion, they are offered at the kamidana (home altar).
The ceramic heishi guchi are quite large, heavy and sturdy vessels. They are Imari inban (transfer ware) and are a beautiful bright shade of indigo blue on white. They are decorated with the auspicious shochikubai (plum, pine and bamboo) motif. The heishi guchi are in good antique condition with no cracks or chips.
The brass omiki-guchi are shaped like the ones folded from washi paper, and have lines etched into the surface representing the folds in the paper. They have the signs of long use with a darkened patina and areas of tarnish.
A pair of flames in sake bottles are placed either side of the shrine on the kamidana (god shelf), particularly at New Year. Older pieces, like these, look great together with antique kamidana shrines.
- measures in total (flame and sake bottle) 20 cm (7.9”) high x 7 cm (2.7”) across.
- weighs 240 gm.
(listing for pair of sake bottles with flame)
SHIPPING INFORMATION
- please read the notes in our shipping policy.
- we use recycle packaging wherever possible and wrap for safety, rather than appearance!
ABOUT OUR VINTAGE AND ANTIQUE ITEMS
We list pieces we feel are worthy of display. There may be scratches, dents, fading and signs of wear and tear. We try to explain the condition of each item exactly, but may miss something.
Information regarding the item and it’s age is obtained from dealers and our personal research. We do our best to give you the correct information but please be aware that we cannot guarantee this information.
Please message us prior to purchase with any questions you may have about our products.
OMIKI-GUCHI
Omiki-guchi literally means, sacred sake mouth. A stylized flame, representing fire, that springs from the mouth of a sacred sake bottle, representing water. In Japanese religion, fire and water are the origins of human life and are the means by which man can purify himself. Symbols of these two staples, are important sacred tools to be offered at the Japanese home altar. An open flame was not a good idea for the home, so finely crafted wood and metal replicas came into being. The style of these mingei flames differed depending on the local area where they were made, with techniques being passed down through generations.
The wooden flames are particularly beautiful, hand crafted into delicately scented flames from Yoshino hinoki, a variety of particularly fragrant Japanese cypress. Some are very decorative, being made in a net or complex twisted pattern of wood strips. Only straight grained wood, free of knots is used, and only hinoki is flexible and strong enough to be cut into the fine strips, necessary for fitting together the pieces into a crosshatch net pattern.
.In Japan, New Year is a time for change and new hope. The house is thoroughly cleaned, as is the home altar. This is when a new special pair of mingei flames are displayed on the kamidana, to start the year off right.
With the advent of electricity and low wattage candle lamps, the popularity of Omiki-guchi declined, but there does seem to be a new interest and appreciation of this folk art recently.
SHOCHIKUBAI - THE LUCKY PINE TREE, PLUM BLOSSOM AND BAMBOO SYMBOL.
Pine tree
A pine tree represents the ability to weather hard times. A pine tree’s roots are tenacious and will burrow deep to find their way to hold fast on even the craggiest, rock-strewn outcropping. They endure, no matter what the circumstances.
Plum blossoms
In Japan the plum tree is the first to bud and blossom in the late winter, even when its limbs may remain snow-laden: the plum gives us hope, showing us that spring and new opportunities for beauty and joy are just around the corner.
Bamboo
Bamboo finds it’s strength in knowing how to give and bend without breaking when even the strongest winds blow.
JAPANESE TRANSFERWARE (INBAN)
Japanese transferware (Inban) was produced mainly in the Imari and Seto regions from the late Edo era for regular people of limited means. The porcelain was heavy and durable. The complex designs were either transferred in full or a combination of transfer and hand painting was used. Early inban ware, in the Edo era, was made with paper stencils (shiban). Later in the Meiji era, the doban-copper stencil technique was used. The copper stencils were handmade and hand applied, a rather difficult process, but the stencil could be reused. As the application was done by hand mistakes were not uncommon. Inban ware was prone to smudging and transfer misplacement. This was common and quite normal for pieces of the period. Areas where the design did not match up completely and even sometimes large holes in the design were often seen. This would have been totally unacceptable in the porcelain for noble households with their formal ceremonies. Inban ware, however, was for everyday use by the common people, so minor imperfections and flaws were no problem at all!
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