Gourd-shaped Flower Basket (Hyōtangata hanakago)
Katō Tōshōsai Japanese
Not on view
The sophisticated double gourd shape of this flower basket mimics a form found in many Chinese and Japanese ceramics, and its surface is ornamented with the character “kotobuki” 壽, meaning “long life.” Katō Tōshōsai (active early twentieth century), a lesser-known bamboo artisan of the Kansai region, maintained a workshop in Tsu City, the capital of Mie Prefecture. Although we know little about his life, his karamono-style works are of the highest quality, including a basket previously owned by the Imperial Household and now in the collection of the Museum of the Imperial Collections, Tokyo.
