Description A HANAKAGO, 'IKEBANA' BAMBOO BASKET FOR FLOWER ARRANGEMENTSJapan, 19th century. The handled flower basket of globular form and finely woven, rising from a circular base to a circular mouth. With a reddish-brown lacquered otoshi (water holder) cut from a whole section of bamboo.Condition: Good condition with some losses and expected surface wear. The water holder with two age cracks to the sides and one to the bottom. Provenance: Austrian private collection, acquired at Gallery Asboth in 1993.Dimensions: Height 41 cmCrafting items frombamboo is one of the oldest technical skills developed in Japan. Since the 8th century, finely made bamboo baskets have been used in Buddhist ceremonies and later in the Japanese tea ceremony. It was the blossoming of the tea ceremony after the 15th century that led to a demand for bamboo tea articles and elaborate Chinese-style flower arranging vessels. A pool of talented bamboo artisans developed to meet this demand.