A LARGE JAPANESE WOOD JIZAI KAGI (KETTLE HOOK) MEIJI ERA, 19TH OR 20TH CENTURY Of typical form and made of keyaki (zelkova wood), with pegs to the side for suspension, the surface a lustrous chocolate brown, 29.5cm. Provenance: formerly a private Japanese collection. These large functional wood carvings were used for suspending kettles from a ceiling beam over the sunken hearth, irori. They were seen as a symbol of the family`s stability and prosperity.