Cherry Bark Tea Canister
Run a hand around this canister and you feel bark rather than lacquer or metal: the smooth, quietly glossy skin of the mountain cherry, wrapped all the way around. It is the kind of container that stays on a kitchen shelf for decades, its colour and sheen deepening a little each year it is handled.
The tall size holds about 150 g of loose tea and the short about 100 g, enough to keep a favourite sencha, hojicha or even coffee beans close at hand.
Features
Kabazaiku is the craft of working mountain cherry bark. It reached Kakunodate in Akita in the late 18th century, where it was first practised by samurai of the Satake domain as side work. Yatsuyanagi has made it there since 1876. The bark is harvested without felling the tree, dried in the shade for more than a year, then shaved and polished by hand until its natural lustre comes through.
This canister is made in the sōkawa style, covered entirely in plain, undecorated bark. Cherry bark is often said to breathe: it does not seal the canister completely, so the inside stays dry and even without condensation, and unlike a metal tin it will never rust.
Specifications
- Material: Mountain cherry bark, wood
- Finish: Plain bark
- Dimensions:
- Tall: Approx. Ø 8.3 × H 12 cm
- Short: Approx. Ø 8.3 × H 9 cm
- Capacity:
- Tall: Approx. 150 g of tea
- Short: Approx. 100 g of tea
- Maker: Yatsuyanagi
- Made in Japan (Kakunodate, Akita)
Care
Keep it away from water, damp places and open flame. Now and then, wipe it with a soft, dry cloth along the grain of the bark to bring out its gloss.
Please Note
As a natural material, cherry bark varies in colour and pattern, so each canister is slightly different.
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