*SHIPPING OPTIONS VARY DEPENDING ON THE DESTINATION, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS LISTING FOR MORE DETAILS.

This listing is for an exquisite susutake bamboo chago made by sanuki take-ittobori master craftsman, Nishimura Akimine. A chago is a scoop for taking tea leaves from a chatsubo. They are generally made of bamboo and shaped like half a cylinder. The bamboo used for this particular chago gets its name from the colour of bamboo roofing in old thatched-roof minka. Over time, bamboo roofing beams become darkened due to constant exposure to the smoke from the central hearth. Susutake tea utensils undergo a long curing process, which makes them very tough and durable. The chago in this listing is intricately carved with a depiction of Hannya.  Hannya is a female demon featured in Japanese Noh, an unusual choice for teaware.  It comes with its original paper storage box as well as a stamped turmeric coloured wrapping cloth for when the item is not in use.  It also comes with a Japanese language profile paper about the craftsman.

Nishimura Akimine (b.1942) is a sanuki take-ittobori master craftsman from Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku. In 1980 he established Nishimura Kogei (Crafts), and in 1994 his work was selected for the Japan Sencha Crafts Exhibition. He has exhibited at this particular exhibition a total of 16 times since then. In 1999 he was certified as a Traditional Take-Ittobori Craftsperson by the Kagawa Prefectural Government. In 2001 he became a full time member of the Japan Sencha Kogei Association, and in April 2005 he was recognised by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry for his achievement in reviving bamboo carving. In 2008 he received an award from the Governor of Kagawa Prefecture for the encouragement of bamboo carving and popularisation of handicrafts. In 2017 he received the Contemporary Master Craftsman Certification for bamboo carving, and in 2018 he received the highly coveted Autumn Medal (Medal with Yellow Ribbon) and the Business Encouragement Award. Nishimura makes his own carving tools, carefully fashioning the handles out of astringent bamboo roots. His work is very popular among tea enthusiasts and collectors alike. **Fellow sellers, this information was researched by Kominka Zakka and cannot be used in your own listings.

Sanuki take-ittobori refers to a method of bamboo carving from Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It originated in China and has been widely practiced in Japan since the Nara period. Kagawa is also home to Sanuki-bori wood carving. This type is somewhat different, pieces are coated in lacquer and usually decorated with carved, hand-painted designs. Sanuki carvers make a lot of larger, more functional pieces such as trays, chabitsu, bowls etc. whereas ittobori carvers tend to make small ornaments and figurines. **Fellow sellers, this information was researched by Koedo and cannot be used in your own listings.                                                                                                                                  

Sizes

Paper Box:  H.3.3 (1.2”) x 16.5cm (6.4”) x 6cm (2.3”)

Chago:  L.16cm (6.2”)                                                                                                              

Condition
This particular item is brand new and completely unused.                                                    

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 (approx. 7-15 days).  Combined shipping available (please send us a message) but please note that the price does not get cheaper for Airmail or EMS, in fact it becomes more expensive.  If you want to save money and don't mind a very long 3 month wait, request sea mail (11-12 weeks depending on processing and backlogs at destination ports). Inexpensive Airmail Small Packet option unavailable.

**UK and Canada:  EMS Express (approx. 7-15 days).  Combined shipping available (please send us a message) but please note that the price does not get cheaper for EMS, in fact it becomes more expensive.  If you want to save money and don't mind a very long 3 month wait, request sea mail (11-12 weeks depending on processing and backlogs at destination ports). Inexpensive Airmail Small Packet and regular Airmail is currently unavailable.

**Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway: Airmail ePacket (approx. 15-28 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail ePacket (please send us a message).

**Asia:  Airmail ePacket (approx. 15-21 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail ePacket (please send us a message).

**Russia:  No shipping methods available.