Flower Basket by Morita Chikuyosai

This basket by Chikuyosai has an unusually compact elegance. Little is known of Chikuyosai, though based on the style of his basketry he was evidently based in the Kansai area. This basket is very precise and firm in the hand, as it is constructed of a mesh-like triangular plaiting (asa ami), reinforced with twining horizontals. The shifts to mat plaiting at base and shoulder give this basket a compelling graphic quality. The rim is twined and the handle bound with rattan. These distinct elements, none over-complex in itself, harmonize easily and the basket has a disarming feel of effortless self-realization and quiet.