Osaka Naniwa Suzuki (Osaka Naniwa Pewterware)
Osaka Naniwa Suzuki (Osaka Naniwa Pewterware)
Osaka Naniwa Suzuki (大阪浪華錫器) is tinware (suzu-ki) made in Osaka City and other areas. Tin is a precious metal ranking next to gold and silver, and since ancient times it has been used for tableware at the imperial court and for ritual implements at shrines and temples. Tinware making is said to have begun in Kyoto, and by the mid-Edo period Osaka had become a major production center. Tin shops gathered in Shinsaibashi, Tenjinbashi and Tennoji, making sake vessels and tea utensils. The main techniques are casting, in which molten tin is poured into molds, and lathe turning (rokuro-biki), in which the piece is shaved on a lathe to refine its shape. Tin does not oxidize easily and is said to make sake taste mellower, and because it is highly airtight it is also suited to tea caddies. In 1983 (Showa 58), it was designated a Traditional Craft Designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Today, 大阪錫器株式会社 carries on the techniques and accounts for about 70 percent of domestic tinware produced with traditional techniques.
Origin
Tinware is said to have been brought to Japan about 1,300 years ago by envoys to Sui and Tang China, and tin medicine jars and other items survive in the Shosoin. One theory traces the roots of tin craftsmanship to the early Kamakura period, when Eisai brought back tea-jar makers from Song China. At the imperial court, sake was called 'osuzu,' suggesting that tinware was used mainly for sake vessels. Tinware production is said to have begun in Kyoto, and by the mid-17th century 'tin shops' (suzu-ya) had gathered around Gojo-dori and elsewhere.
History
The Osaka guidebook 『難波雀』, published in Enpo 7 (1679), mentions '錫引,' and tinware is said to have been made in Osaka from an early date. In Shotoku 4 (1714), the first-generation 半兵衛, who had studied under a Kyoto tinsmith, opened '錫半' in Shinsaibashi. At its peak, from the end of the Taisho era to the early Showa era, Osaka is said to have had more than 300 craftspeople. Although craftspeople and materials were lost to the war, the techniques were carried on after the war, and in 1983 it was designated a national traditional craft.
Features
Tin has a low melting point of about 230 degrees and is an easy metal to work. It does not oxidize or rust easily, and it is said to suppress unwanted flavors in sake and make it taste mellower. Because it is highly airtight and protects its contents even in humid places, it is also suited to tea caddies. Each tea caddy body is made to match its own lid, so precisely that a lid will not fit if the pairs are swapped. Surfaces shaved on the lathe take on a calm white luster unique to tin.
Techniques
Casting
Tin melted in a pot (which craftspeople call 'yu,' meaning hot water) is poured into a mold with a ladle. Because the tin hardens quickly if the mold is cold, it is poured in and returned to the pot many times while the craftsperson judges the temperature and the right moment to remove the piece. Molds are made of stone, clay, metal and other materials, and number in the thousands.
Lathe turning (rokuro-biki)
The central process of tinware making, in which the cast piece is mounted on a lathe and its cast surface is shaved with a cutting tool (kanna) to refine its shape. Different cutting tools are used from rough shaving to finishing, and the piece is polished with horsetail (tokusa) or muku leaves to bring out its luster.
Decoration (kusarashi and hammered texture)
Kusarashi is a technique in which a vessel with a design painted in lacquer or a similar material is immersed in nitric acid, corroding the unpainted areas into a matte, pear-skin-like texture. Lacquer is repeatedly applied and wiped off to make the pattern stand out. There is also tsuchime-uchi, in which the surface is struck with a hammer to give it an uneven texture.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Melting and casting
Tin ingots are melted and poured into a mold whose inside has been coated with polishing powder (tonoko). Once the tin has hardened, the piece is removed from the mold and the excess is cut off.
- 2
Lathe turning
The cast surface is shaved on a lathe to give the piece its final form. Items that cannot be made from a single mold, such as vases, are made by shaving the upper and lower parts separately and then joining them.
- 3
Assembly work and decoration
Parts such as handles and spouts are attached, and the piece is worked by cutting, bending or hammering a texture into it. As needed, kusarashi or coloring with lacquer is applied.
- 4
Finishing
The piece is given its luster on the lathe, and the maker's mark is stamped on the base to finish it. Simple items take a day, while complex ones take about a month.
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Artisans & Workshops
大阪錫器株式会社
Founded in 1949 (Showa 24), with a workshop in 田辺, Higashisumiyoshi Ward, Osaka City. The roots of its techniques are said to go back to 芝伊兵衛, who opened a tin shop in Shinsaibashi in the late Edo period. Its craftspeople include five certified traditional craftspeople (Dento Kogeishi), and certified traditional craftsperson 今井達昌 and others make sake vessels and tea utensils as well as tumblers and other vessels suited to modern life.
How to Buy
- 大阪錫器 products (department stores, online shops, etc.)
- 大阪錫器's sake vessels and tea utensils are carried by department stores and online shopping sites. Sake sets consisting of a chirori (a vessel for warming sake) and guinomi cups start at roughly 15,000 to 20,000-odd yen. For stockists, it is best to check with 大阪錫器 (tel. 06-6628-6731).
Hands-on Experiences
大阪錫器 錫器鎚打ち体験
大阪府大阪市東住吉区田辺6-6-15
At 大阪錫器株式会社, visitors can hammer patterns into the surface of tin to make their own original guinomi cup or tumbler. It is also introduced on the official website of the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau. Fees and schedules should be confirmed by inquiring in advance.
FAQ
Q. Why is sake said to taste better in tin vessels?
A. When sake is poured into a tin vessel, it is said to lose its unwanted flavors and become mellower. たこ梅, a long-established oden restaurant in Dotonbori, Osaka, has long served hot sake in a tin tanpo (a vessel for warming sake) and a 上燗コップ (cup for warmed sake). The restaurant explains that sake poured into tin stays warm longer and feels smoother on the palate.
Q. Why are tin tea caddies suited to storing tea?
A. Because tin is highly airtight and protects its contents even in humid places. Each tea caddy body is handmade to match its own lid, so it is finished so precisely that it will not fit with any other lid. It is said that water does not get in even if a tin tea caddy is submerged, and it is considered to preserve the aroma of tea leaves for a long time.