A lovely sake set inf the shape of awooden barrel, a funnel, and a set of three drinking masu cups, all made from fine clear woods and set upon a tray also of wood enclosed in a wooden box titled Shuki (Sake Set) by Tarugen, the famous woodworking studio in Kyoto. The tray is 21.5 x 12 x 4 cm (8-1/2 x 5 x 1-1/2 inches). The sake barrel is 9.5 cm diameter, 9 cm tall. All is in excellent condition.
Founded in the late Edo period as a cooper’s workshop producing bath tubs, rice tubs (ohitsu), and sake barrels, the origins of the workshop trace back to the first-generation artisan Tanaka Genshichi, who took the name Tarugen. In the years following the Second World War, the practice evolved beyond necessity into expression, turning toward the creation of sake vessels, serving tubs, and flower containers distinguished by a heightened sense of craft. Marked by a quiet refinement and a design language that resists fashion, these works unite enduring beauty with daily use, and continue to grace inns and traditional restaurants across Japan, particularly in Kyoto, where function and elegance are held in equal regard.
