By NANAKO MATSUZAWA/ Staff Writer
May 28, 2023 at 19:05 JST
Part of a set of golden tea-making utensils associated with renowned feudal warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi that fetched 300 million yen ($2.15 million) at an auction in Tokyo on May 27 (Nanako Matsuzawa)
A set of golden tea-making utensils associated with renowned feudal warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi fetched 300 million yen ($2.15 million) at an auction in Tokyo.
It is believed in some circles that Hideyoshi (1537-1598) used the set in his famed golden tearoom.
It is also said the warlord gifted the utensils to Todo Takatora, known as a master of castle building, as a reward for his services.
However, Shinwa Auction Co. warned bidders the auction house would not guarantee the authenticity of such claims before the set went under the hammer on May 27.
Hirosawa Museum of Art, which is based in Chikusei, Ibaraki Prefecture, and outbid its competitors, said it bought the set to revitalize the neighborhood.
The tea ceremony set, which was formerly owned by Count Takatsugu Todo (1884-1943), consists of 10 items, including a cup, a kettle, a brazier and a tea container.
It is not known who produced the items or when, but records show the set was displayed at an exhibition in 1929.
A survey conducted during World War II showed that the set was made of gold-silver alloy with a gold content of 80-88 percent.
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
