Traditional Japanese Lacquer Footed Stand (Takatsuki)
A Japanese footed lacquer vessel, or takatsuki, coated all over in vermilion lacquer, the top painted in fine gold brushwork with bamboo shoots and grapes, balanced in composition and delicate in execution. Bamboo shoots symbolize “endless renewal of life” and grapes “many children and much happiness”; the designs carry meanings of abundance and good fortune, and such vessels are often used for celebrations, offerings, weddings or congratulatory occasions. The takatsuki (たかつき) is one of Japan's traditional vessels for presenting food, with origins traceable to the Nara and Heian periods; it is often seen in offerings before the gods, among aristocratic utensils, in the tea ceremony and in festival rituals — a form of strong ceremonial and cultural significance.