日本語は英語の後に続きます。Japanese follows.
2018 is the year of the boar.
12 animals of the Japanese Zodiac start from
mouse and end with boar. I have a tea bowl
appears once in 12 years.
The boar was drawn vigorously and got golden
tusks, I like it very much.
A lovely Akebono (dawn) colour (salmon colour)
tea bowl joined in my collection this year.
The base of this tea bowl is heart-shaped.
This is actually a pattern from ancient Japan
called “inome” which means “eyes of a boar”.
You can find “inome” patterns at shrines and
temples. Since “inome” is believed to protect
from harms and invite happiness, it is often
used in traditional Japanese architectures.
I can probably use this “inome” tea bowl every
February around Valentine’s day, not once
every 12 years.
The tea bowl was made by Rakunyu and gold
dusts were scattered associated with
the theme of the final year of the Heisei period
“utakaihajime”, a poetry reading which is held
at the beginning of the New Year, in the Imperial
Court. This year’s theme was “hikari” (light).
12年に１度登場するイノシシの抹茶椀がある。
金色の牙をワンポイントに力強く描かれて
いるイノシシが、なかなかのお気に入り。
今年は素敵な曙色の抹茶椀が仲間入りした。
どこが亥年かというと・・・猪目の高台。
ハートにも見えるが、日本古来から使われて
いる文様で、神社などに行くと結構見つかる。
名前通り、猪の目に由来していて、
魔除けや福を招くと伝統的な日本建築には
良く使われているらしい。
新入り抹茶椀は、12年に1度と言わず
毎年2月のバレンタインにも使えるかな？
楽入造で平成最後の歌会始の
お題「光」にちなんで。