Japanese Fubuki Natsume Blizzard Black Lacquer Cylindrical Tea Caddy Chanoyu
Japan, Showa–Heisei period
2.75 in H × 2.5 in dia (7 × 6 cm); Weight: under 1 lb (under 0.5 kg)
A fubuki-natsume (吹雪棗), named for the blizzard — fubuki (吹雪) — a form of straight-sided cylindrical tea caddy finished in a distinctive black lacquer that carries a subtle surface quality distinguishing it from plain kuro-nuri. The finish has a depth and quiet variation that rewards close attention, evoking the layered, shifting character of windblown snow. Walls are clean and vertical, the lid slightly domed and well-fitted. Interior in black lacquer throughout. The undecorated surface places this squarely in a wabi aesthetic — spare, meditative, and entirely suited to chanoyu (茶の湯) practice.
Condition: Good to very good; lacquer intact with light surface wear consistent with use. No chips or losses.
A fubuki-natsume of quiet authority — the undecorated surface and precise form making elegance from restraint alone.