FINE!! Japanese vintage "matcha" green tea caddy with golden willow tree, "棗 natsume", for tea ceremony 1970s H3in/H7.5cm

FINE!! Japanese vintage "matcha" green tea caddy with golden willow tree, "棗 natsume", for tea ceremony 1970s H3in/H7.5cm.

In tea ceremony, a host entertains guests with a lot of items carefully chosen. There are three items which are superior to others and a host brings to tea rooms at last before making tea. They are "茶碗 chawan" ,tea bowl, ”薄器 usuki", tea container and "茶杓 chasyaku", tea spoon.

”薄器 usuki" are made of wood, mostly lacquered with painting. There are two types of Usuki by its shape, "棗 natsume" and "中次 nakatsugi". Both are of two parts, body and lid. Difference is the place of a joint. Natsume's lid is shorter than its body but Nakatsugi has a ligature in the center.

The motif of this maki-e is a willow tree.
The artist is Reiho Sasaki, a famous maki-e artist for tea ceremony utensils, who is especially good at making jujube (jujube-shaped tea caddies). His technique of maki-e is excellent and he produces beautifully decorated works.
This willow tree is also really beautiful with each leaf delicately drawn. If you look closely, you can see small shells cut out in a diamond shape and embedded in the trunk, which sometimes sparkles when the light hits it, giving it a three-dimensional effect. Willow trees have been popular in Japan as a symbol of protection against evil, good luck, health, and beauty.In the tea ceremony, people enjoy changing utensils according to the season, and willow is one of the utensils recommended for spring and summer.
Excellent workmanship and comes with the original box.
This item is recommended as a gift.

□ Size: H 3in × W 2.8in （about H7.5cm×W7.2cm）
□ Weight : 2.3oz (66g)
□ Material : wood, gold, shell
□ Boxed : with sign wooden box　※Cloth and other tea utensils not included

condition...
It is in very good condition, ready to use.

I list antiques that sometimes have chips, rubbings and cracks
as they are very old antiques so please check the images and understand the current
condition before buying.