Basket in the Form of a Flower Cart (Hanaguruma-gata hanakago)

Katō Tōshōsai Japanese

Not on view

Among Katō Tōshōsai’s more surprising constructions is this flower cart worked in tight plaiting. It recalls depictions of such carts in Edo-period paintings, where they are often shown carrying large ikebana baskets filled with flowers. A lesser-known bamboo artisan of the Kansai region, he maintained a workshop in Tsu City, the capital of Mie Prefecture. Although we know little about his life, his Chinese-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.

Basket in the Form of a Flower Cart (Hanaguruma-gata hanakago), Katō Tōshōsai (Japanese, active early 20th century), Timber bamboo, rattan, and lacquer, Japan

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Basket in the Form of a Flower Cart (Hanaguruma-gata hanakago), Katō Tōshōsai (Japanese, active early 20th century), Timber bamboo, rattan, and lacquer, Japan
Basket in the Form of a Flower Cart (Hanaguruma-gata hanakago), Katō Tōshōsai (Japanese, active early 20th century), Timber bamboo, rattan, and lacquer, Japan

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