About the Item

Bronze suiteki (water dropper) with a fine brown patina, modeled as two turtles (kame) stacked one upon the other. In Japan, the turtle (kame) is regarded as a symbol of wisdom, stability, and good fortune. Tradition holds that it brings protection and ten thousand years of happiness because of its longevity and the slow, deliberate nature of its movements. In Daoist belief, the turtle symbolizes the cosmos: its shell represents the heavens, while its body represents the earth. The suiteki is an object intimately associated with the practice of Japanese calligraphy, and more broadly with the Sinitic sphere, used to dilute hard ink sticks on an inkstone (suzuri). In East Asia, ink traditionally takes the form of hard molded sticks, more commonly called “ink cakes.” These cakes, composed of soot and animal glue, are ground against an inkstone with a little water, the resulting liquid mixture then serving as ink. Ink and its various uses are thought to have been introduced to Japan during the seventh century. The Buddhist priest Damjing, of Korean origin, was sent by the empire of Goguryeo—one of the Three Kingdoms (57 BCE–668 CE)—to Japan, where he arrived around 610. Japan was then under the influence of the Soga clan, one of the most powerful clans in the archipelago (and possibly of Korean origin), which had gradually brought many Korean families under its authority. Benefiting from the technological and cultural advances of Chinese civilization, these immigrant groups had formed specialist communities devoted to particular crafts and techniques. It was through this influence that many scholars, monks, and civil instructors arrived in Japan from Korea, Damjing among them. Sent to teach Buddhist rites, he was also versed in the techniques of papermaking and ink manufacture, methods that subsequently spread in Japan. Japan – Taishō era (1912–1926) Height: 5 cm – Length: 7 cm – Width: 7 cm

Dimensions:
Height: 1.97 in (5 cm)Width: 2.76 in (7 cm)Depth: 2.76 in (7 cm)
Style:
Taisho (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Cast
Place of Origin:
Japan
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1912-1926
Condition:
Minor fading.
Seller Location:
PARIS, FR
Reference Number:
Seller: 2026-15071stDibs: LU8311250076742

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