*THIS ITEM EXCEEDS THE SIZE LIMIT FOR SEA MAIL TO NORTH AMERICA AND OCEANIA, SO IT WILL BE SENT VIA EMS EXPRESS.  EUROPE, SAL SEA MAIL IS POSSIBLE, PLEASE CONTACT US TO SAVE SOME MONEY.

This listing is for a vintage Takaoka Doan-buro style of furo made around 50 years ago by Fujii Souki.  Rikyu’s eldest son, Sen Doan (1546-1607), is credited with creating the Doan style of furo during the Sengoku Period (1477-1573).  The Doan-buro in this listing has a bronze-like appearance but it’s actually made of ‘karakane’ copper alloy - a mixture of copper, lead and tin.  It also comes with an iron gotoku stand and a ceramic maekawarake to prevent fire and sparks from escaping.  The stamp of the craftsman can be found on the bottom, and it comes with its original signed wooden storage box.  It also comes with a padded yellow wrapping cloth for when the item is not in use.  Inside of the box it has some handwritten notes and poems, it is dated 1974.

Fujii Souki (b.1940) was born in Takaoka city in Toyama Prefecture.  In 1973 he received an Honourable Mention at the annual Nichigei Japan Art Exhibition, and in 1977 he received the Tokyo Governors Award at the same exhibition.  In 1981 he received the Encouragement Award at the Nichigei Japan Art Exhibition, and in 1983 he held a solo exhibition at Nagoya Maruei Department Store.  In 1989 he exhibited at Ginza Matsuya Department Store, and in 1990 he held a solo exhibition at Takashimaya Department Store in Kyoto.  Fujii’s work is highly sought after by collectors and tea practitioners due to their high quality.  He has been given the name ‘Kisaemon’ but has since retired from making tea utensils.  **Fellow sellers, this information was researched by Kominka Zakka and CANNOT be used in your own listings.

Takaoka city is the leading producer of copperware in all of Japan, its origins going back some 400 years to feudal times. They produce items for religious purposes, the tea ceremony, as well as pots and pans for daily use. Manufacturing involves several stages beginning with the making of moulds in either wax or resin. This is followed by casting via the lost-wax process, and then finishing and colouring. During the colouring process other metals may be added and lacquer is sometimes added to the base. All these processes combined create Japan’s finest copperware, all done by highly skilled master craftsmen.                                                                                                                               

Sizes

Box:  H.26.5cm (10.4”) x 38.6cm (15.1”) x 38.6cm (15.1”)

Furo:  H.20cm (7.8”) x 30.7cm (12”) outer diameter/28.4cm (11.1”) inner diameter

Ceramic Maekawarake:  H.0.8cm (0.3”) x Dia.22cm (8.6”)

Gotoku Stand:  H.10.2cm (4”) x 21.4cm (8.4”) across                                                              

Condition

The furo has some general wear such as scratches, scuffing and patina.  The gotoku is rusty which is quite usual for older used furo .  The yellow wrapping cloth needs a good airing, we aired it out at the time of listing but I dare say it will need to be aired again once it arrives.                                                                                                                        

THESE ARE SHIPPING ESTIMATES BASED ON THE CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATION                                                                 

**Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Slovenia:  NO SHIPPING.  Very strict and expensive packaging laws in place and we are not licensed to send products to these countries.  We have no plan to register at this time because the process is in some cases very expensive and complicated, plus each country has its own set of regulations and application process. 

**USA: EMS Express (10-15 days).

**UK , Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway:  EMS Express (10-15 days).

**Asia: EMS Express (7-10 days).

**Russia:  No shipping methods available.