‘Kamarura (鎌倉)’ Carving ‘Hubako (文箱)’ – Japanese Antique Letter Box

A “Hubako (文箱/letter box)” was originally a long, thin container for storing letters and documents. These boxes were also used to deliver letters and documents, similar to modern mailboxes.

Hubako began to be used during the ‘Heian (平安)’ period (794-1180) and became widely popular during the following a few centuries. In the ‘Edo (江戸)’ period (1603-1868), beautifully decorated Hubako were created as wedding accessories for high-ranking women.

‘Kamakura (鎌倉)’ carving is a craft originating from Kamakura city, located about 50km south of Tokyo. It involves shaping a wooden base, typically using katsura or ginkgo wood, carving a pattern into it, and then applying layers of lacquer. The process includes applying black lacquer followed by colored lacquers such as vermilion, blue, and yellow, and then polishing it to a finish.

The origins of Kamakura carving dates back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333). During this era, the craft began when Buddhist objects and furnishings for Zen temples were created using innovative wood carving and lacquering techniques introduced from China along with Zen Buddhism.

In the ‘Muromachi (室町)’ period (1336-1568), it was used in temples as incense containers and other Buddhist ceremonial tools, which were also given as a gift for nobles. As the culture of the tea ceremony developed, Kamakura carving was adopted for tea ceremony utensils such as incense containers and tea boxes.

During the Edo period, the spread of the tea ceremony increased the demand for tea utensils, and the variety of Kamakura carving products diversified. During this time, Kamakura carving works that embodied Edo cultural aesthetics such as ‘wabi (侘び/simplicity),’ ‘sabi (寂び/imperfect beauty),’ and ‘iki (粋/sophistication)’ were created.

Dimensions: Height 3 cm, Width 13 cm, Depth 20 cm

Period: Showa (1926-1898)

Material: katsura / ginkgo