Owan Set of Five Owan with Gold Bamboo Decoration

In Japan, bamboo stands for sincerity and constancy because it bends in the wind without breaking. On these five lidded bowls, slender stalks with finely drawn leaves in gold run across the jet-black body and on over the lid, painted by hand and placed a little differently on each piece.

Owan of this shape serve as suimono-wan, bowls for clear soups such as those served in kaiseki cuisine. Beneath the lid, a bright vermilion comes as a surprise, giving the contents a warm frame. The bowls are not turned from solid wood but molded from a wood-based material and lacquered – which makes them light and hard-wearing in use.

Each bowl measures about 14 cm in diameter and 7 cm in height and weighs around 195 g. The set dates from the Heisei period, is nearly unused and comes in its inscribed wooden box – ideal for guests, for a festive New Year's table or as a gift.