This elegant Tokufū Natsume (徳風棗) was created by the Echizen lacquer artist Miyata Sokei (宮田宗景), based on an original design by the 11th Urasenke tea master Gengen Saikō (玄々斎). As iemoto, the head of the Urasenke tradition, he guided the development and transmission of the tea ceremony within his school. He is often cited as someone who worked to make the tea ceremony more accessible to a wider audience.
Motif
A refined maki-e decoration has been applied to the deep black urushi lacquer, featuring nine golden rice grains on the inside of the lid. On the outside, the phrase 「粒万倍」 (ichiryū manbai – “one grain becomes ten thousand”) is rendered in graceful calligraphy. The combination of subtle gold accents and calligraphy forms a restrained yet powerful composition in which simplicity and meaning reinforce each other.
Symbolism
The expression ichiryū manbai refers to the idea that a small beginning can grow into great abundance. The rice grains symbolize growth, fertility, and prosperity, emphasizing the value of seemingly small actions with major consequences. Within the context of the tea ceremony, this motif conveys a wish for harmony, development, and a prosperous future.
Object Details
Maker: Miyata Sokei 宮田宗景
Title:Ichiryū manbai (「粒万倍」)
Type: Tokufu Natsume
Material: Urushi maki-e
Diameter: ≈ 8.4 cm
Height: ≈ 6.3 cm
Condition: Excellent;
Accessories: Original tomobako with hanko, calligraphy, and cloth.
Extra: Biography of the maker.
Tomobako and authenticity
The natsume is a testament to high-level craftsmanship: the lacquer is even and glossy, the maki-e fine and precise, and the finishing is attended to in the smallest details. The piece comes with the original wooden tomobako (storage and presentation box) and accompanying sheet.
Signature and maker
Miyata Munekage (宮田宗景) is a contemporary Echizen urushi artist from Sabae, Kawada (河和田), the historic center of the Echizen lacquer tradition in Fukui Prefecture. Starting from Shōwa 45 (1970), he studied under the maki-e master Minowa Issei (箕輪一星) and became an independent artist in 1975.
His work is characterized by technical precision, balanced forms, and a refined application of maki-e, where every detail has been carefully considered. He has received, among others, the Shitsugei Kyōkai Award (漆芸協会賞) and was selected for the Echizen Maki-e Mihon-ichi (越前蒔絵見本市), recognitions that underscore his position within the Japanese lacquer tradition.
As a gift
Through the symbolism of ichiryū manbai – “one grain that multiplies into ten thousand” – this object carries a wish for growth, prosperity, and a fruitful future. It is therefore particularly suitable as a gift for a new beginning, such as the start of a business, a creative project, or a new phase in life, as a symbol of development and prosperity.
