Japanese Aubergine Tea Caddy

A wonderfully unusual antique tea caddy or canister in the shape of an aubergine, designed and made by a skilled craftsperson in Japan, circa 1870. The main body of the eggplant vessel is turned whilst the calyx (leaves & stem) shaped lid has been carved by hand.

A fine thread has been carved into the lid so it may screw to the canister below. Underneath the impressively realistic calyx sits a small turned stopper with a knob handle. Testament to the quality of the fruit wood used and the skill of the maker, both lids sit miraculously snug.

Every aspect of this design is brilliantly tactile and visually satisfying. The form of the canister is spectacularly realistic and almost as to reward the expert level of craftspersonship, the patination that the object has built up convinces the eye and hand further. After 150+ years of handling, the canister glows a lighter colour in areas which mimics how light hits the gloss skin of an aubergine.

An excellent example of a well executed, fun, and useful object from the Meiji era, the period in which Japanese design reached new levels of technical sophistication.