The secret of the lotus blossom - a Japanese spice set as a mirror of life
Amidst the quiet elegance of bygone times, a gem of Far Eastern craftsmanship is revealed: an extraordinary four-piece spice set from Japan in the Meiji era, made around 1900, when the world was still moulded by master craftsmen with love and patience.
Each element of this set tells its own story. A bulbous oil jug, a delicate salt shaker and two cuboid spice containers rest in transparent glass - as delicate as water, as clear as the morning sky. However, it is the openwork overlay made of 950 sterling silver that breathes their true soul into them.
Like a shimmering dream, the motif of open lotus blossoms runs across every surface. No two blossoms are alike. Each one is unique, as if a silent breath of nature itself had immortalised it in metal. The lotus blossom, revered in Japan as the ‘flower of life’, symbolises purity, enlightenment and constant new beginnings. It closes at night and opens in the golden light of the morning sun - a symbol of the endless interplay of becoming and passing away, life and rebirth.
The filigree perforation of the silver allows the spices inside to almost float, like small treasures on a reflective water surface. An invitation to nourish not only the palate but also the spirit.
On the underside, the containers bear Japanese characters and the fine stamp ‘Sterling 950’ - silent witnesses to their origin and the masters who created them.
This set is more than just a utility item. It is a collector's item, a showcase object, a poetic fragment of a bygone world. A gift for those who recognise beauty in the everyday - and understand the eternal cycle of life, light and lotus.
Dimensions & details
- Sterling silver 950/- on transparent glass
- Weight 429.15 g
- Cuboid 4.5 x 4.5 x 5 cm
- Shaker 8 x 3.5 cm
- Jar 11.5 x 5 cm
