December 2018

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[Sunami Toru Shoten's Binkago]

Sunami Toru Shoten, founded in 1886, has been manufacturing mat at Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, a city known to be the birthplace of figured mat and former production area of rush.

Sunami Toru Shoten continues their family business by switching their focus on producing "Ikago", a basket made of rush that was used as "Yamikago" in black markets during the post-war period.

Today, Mr. Ryuki Sunami, the fifth generation at Sunami Toru Shoten and the only producer of Ikago, creates Ikago, each individually by hand, applying the methods he has inherited from his grandmother.
https://www.shokunin.com/en/sunami/binkago.html

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[Kikkougama's Broad Bean Chopstick Rest]

Founded in 1801 to 1804 in Juso, Osaka Prefecture, after learning pottery making from masters at Kyo ware. The kiln name Kikkougama was granted by the eleventh generation of Tokugawa Shogun family, who were pleased by their luncheon basket of turtle and associated the kiln name with Kikkou (turtle shell).

Kikkou ware is the only pottery remaining today in Osaka, and 30 items produced by the Kikkougama are stored at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The chopstick rest in a delicious-looking form of broad bean was made by firstly molding it using originally assorted soil, a soil that contains coal bed; secondly biscuit firing, and lastly hand painting the glaze and the colored clay using a brush. Since they are burned by first creating the basis using the same soil, the base is colored as well. The potteries are different in texture, and thus, the chopstick rests are truly flavorful.
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kikkou/soramame.html