ARIMA KAGO / ARIMA BAMBOO BASKETRY
About 500 years ago / 1500s / Muromachi Period (1336–1573)
Arima basketry developed in the famous hot-spring town of Arima, Hyogo, producing bamboo baskets for tea culture and for visitors. Using bamboo from the Rokko mountain region, makers created flower baskets, charcoal baskets and confectionery containers that became both tea utensils and local souvenirs.
In Japan, Arima combines the identity of an ancient spa town with tea culture. Contemporary pieces include flower containers and storage baskets as well as interiors that celebrate the rhythm of woven bamboo.
In tea ceremony, a bamboo flower basket can convey summer coolness precisely because it is open and breathable, unlike metal or ceramic vessels. Stems and even glimpses of water may be visible through the weave. The empty spaces between bamboo strips are therefore as important to the design as the bamboo itself.