JAPANESE TEA BOXES

We've seen some pretty tea pots and tea cups—pretty enough to collect and keep on display in prominently located curio cabinets or shelves—and now we can add to them tea boxes (or chabako) from Japan. These are truly authentically Japanese, covered with authentic Japanese obi or other exquisite fabrics—authentic, of course! 

So, what are these Japanese tea boxes? They are thin-walled wooden boxes of vastly varying sizes—from 1-kg size up to 60 kg—lined with sheets of tin to keep tea dry and fresh. With the arrival of Tupperware some decades ago, however, these wooden boxes are hardly ever used in today's Japanese households. They have become more a nostalgic item that these days seems to connect East with West in that it is the Westerner who is interested in this nostalgia. Many women are keen to learn how to cover them, to "upholster" them, thus making them into decorative items, from small boxes to keep on shelves or tables to foot stools or side tables. They also make excellent moving boxes. (Not as cheap as cardboard, but all included in the move, so why not?)

The flat boxes are nori boxes. (Nori is a seaweed.)

I became interested in—or more precisely, fascinated by if not obsessed with—these boxes when we lived in Tokyo. I realized that by using old Japanese obi for covering them, this combination made a perfect marriage by which to remember Japan. There was a store called "Chicago" where they sold funky second-hand clothing and used obis and kimonos. The store was located in Omotesando; our driver Wataraisan would take me there regularly. Aaah, what sweet memories! 

Below are some examples of the ones, in various sizes, that I have upholstered. Most were given away as gifts—a very welcome gift to an expat living in Japan or Japanese friends.

The top left box is covered with a piece from an old Indian sari; the others are from obi.

This one may be my favorite, due to the simplicity of embroidery on the obi and the decorative studs that I embedded on the front.

Here is an example of one the larger ones I saw, a beautifully upholstered piece that makes an attractive trunk or a coffee table. It sits on a stand that was made specifically for arrangements like this... handmade, impressive.

Photo from chabakointernational.com

So, these photos and stories ought to waken some curiosity about the Japanese obi. If so, here are just a few photos of them:

And with that, I feel another post coming on about these gorgeous things...

|||||

Photo from chabakointernational.com

|||||

DIVORCE, AMERICAN STYLE

|||

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al: 

We have stuck together since the late 1950s for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce.

I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.

Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms.

We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way. 

Here is our separation agreement:

¶ Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement.

After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

¶ We don't like to redistribute taxes, so you can keep them.

¶ You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.

¶ Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. 

¶ We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and the coal mines, and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel.

¶ You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move them. 

¶ We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street (and Hobby Lobby for their Christian values).

¶ We'll keep Bill O'Reilly and the Bible, and give you NBC and Hollywood.

¶ You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.

¶ You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

¶ We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.

¶ You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill.

¶ We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Volt and Leaf you can find.

¶ You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors.

¶ We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem."

¶ I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine," "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," "Kum Ba Ya" or "We Are the World."

¶ We'll practice trickle-down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.

¶ Since they often offend you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.

And, in the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you might think about which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely, 

John J. Wall

Law Student and an American

|||

|||

OLD PACKARD ORGAN

|||||

Two years ago we purchased a beautiful pump organ which was to fill the void I felt after we sold our grand piano. I never thought we’d ever part with that piano, but at that time we were serious about selling our 'Taco Bell' house (as some have called it...) and moving westward to be closer to our children. We did not want to ship the large instrument that had already been around the world a couple times (purchased in New Hampshire, from there to Boston to Schenectady NY to Hong Kong to Saudi Arabia to Dubai to Tokyo to Utah to North Carolina in one house and then to this present one). But as fate would have it, we stayed in North Carolina. And the emptiness without an instrument like our Kawai grand was almost more than I could bear. So, several years after the exodus of the piano, my husband bought this glorious instrument—that does not make a sound, yet.

This beauty is over 100 years old and can still evoke admiration and nostalgia. It has been on a wild adventure. Built by The Fort Wayne Organ Company, in Chicago, most likely during the transition of the company from the Fort Wayne Organ Company to The Packard Company, which would put the date somewhere around the turn of the century, i.e., 1900. The organ was purchased by a Presbyterian church in Aberdeen, Scotland, and graced the small church there until the 1970s when the church was remodeled. At that time, the organ was purchased by Americans who moved it to Belgium. In 1984 it changed hands again and became the property of an American expatriot family, still in Belgium. The travels continued to Summit, New Jersey, and then into storage in Salt Lake City for several years, and finally, to Pinehurst, where we purchased it. The ‘expariot’ organ has finally found its permanent home!

I collected some cursory information of the The Packard Organ Company and its history.

Packard Organ and salesmen in 1890s

Organs 1898-1914

“This time period marks the beginning of the end of organ production by the Packard Company. In 1899, the company name had changed from The Fort Wayne Organ Company to The Packard Company. Also, the emphasis began to be placed on piano production, and the company was focused on the piano part of the business.

“Organ production ceased by the end of 1914, and the company name was changed from The Packard Company to The Packard Piano Company, ushering in a new year and a new era in 1915.”

I can’t believe the disrespect we demonstrated by keeping this treasure in our garage for two years! Well seasoned now, I surmise!

Looking at other Packard organs, it is easy to see that ours is missing some decorative elements, namely the upper corners of the cabinet. The straight lines were a dead give-away that something was missing, and now we know what it might have been. There are only two screw holes on the two ends, which suggets that there was a decorative piece that went all the way across the top of the case.

The keys are in excellent condition for such an old keyboard, with no cracks and minimal yellowing, all good features. The cabinet has a few problem spots— nothing that some TLC could not fix. The biggest problem is that the bellows are not operable by the pedals, so that has to be fixed by an expert. So, so far, it is a "dumb organ"...

The drawers of the console are like time capsules, telling of times gone by and individuals who were real, singing, playing and studying the Scriptures. What a rich heritage just in a few pictures!

Many musical scores were found, these handwritten, possibly original compositions:

Daniel was a Praying Man; Lord, Send Me; Be Not Afraid
Stops to be used 

Old Testament study outline; Biblical map

Enrollment, activity and attendance notes

Some notable details:

So here she is, still on the rug that was used to facilitate the move inside:

|||||

|||||

I have fond memories of playing a pump organ as I was getting into music. We did not have one; a friend's father was the principal of a small school where they had such an organ, and I was permitted to play it to my heart's content!

You can hear a Packard pump organ being played here:

(Clearly, we did not buy it for the sound...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47ZvCWp4ETc

|||||