Okura Oriental Art Blog

We decided to put ROGOBA kilim on the floor of the entrance again because it matches the terra-cotta tile there.

We went to the showroom in Hirakawa-cho today and chose some beautiful kilims.  The staffs are very conscientious, and sellected some nice ones for us. 

We set up everything there today and checked if any other items should be added in that space.

As usual we are so excited to set up all of the charming items. 

They will be introduced on our interior decorating pages soon.

今回もROGOBAさんのご協力を得て撮影用にキリムを貸していただくことになりました。

早速、平河町にあるショールームへ出かけ、事前の下見

数多くのストックが整然と収納されていて、とても選びやすく配置されています。

スタッフの方に今回のイメージを伝えると、手際良く選び出してくれました。　さすが

これらの素敵なキリムを活用したインテリア実例をご披露いたします。

近日、公開予定　乞うご期待

大蔵オリエンタルアート

Our shop is only by appointment from Jul 25th until Aug 16th (Mon), but we have not been taking our vacation yet.  It is the best time to shoot many images for our interior decorating page.

We are so lucky that we could rent the wonderful entrance space of the huge house for several days.  It is a splitlevel space and the floor is light-colored terra-cotta. 

Now we are trying to get some important items to make the space attractive.

We will introduce it soon and don't miss it.

Thank you!!

当店、只今夏休み期間ですが、こんな時だからこそ普段出来ない仕事をせっせとこなしております・・・・・

インテリアコーディネートの撮影などもその一例

今回の撮影場所は広いエントランスが特徴的な邸宅　　

テラコッタの床とスキップフロア、そして吹き抜けの天井が何とも開放的

さてさてどのようになるかはお楽しみに・・・・・

I bought a table cloth of navy blue and beige gingham check in Karuizawa last week. And I enjoyed thinking about which tableware and cutlery would be nice or a rattan bread basket should be good with it.

I usually use table mat for each person at home because it is easy to wash and replace it.  It takes much time to wash and iron the table cloth, but it's worth using it!!  Table cloth makes everything on the table attractive!

Today, I tried to use the table cloth at the window display.  I hope the people who pass by feel fresh to see it during the worst of the heat

先日軽井沢で自宅用に購入した紺とベージュのギンガムチェックのテーブルクロス。　合わせる食器やカトラリー、籐のバスケットを使っても夏らしくていいかも・・・、と楽しく思いをめぐらせていました。

いつも使っているのは一人ずつのテーブルマット。　テーブルクロスはお洗濯やアイロンがけが面倒ではありますが、食卓が華やぐので時々楽しんでいます。　

今日はちょっとした冒険で骨董品と合わせてウィンドウにテーブルセッティングをしてみました。　この酷暑の中、道行く人々がほんの少し爽やかな気分になりますように・・・。

☆7月25日（日）～8月16日（月）まで休業とさせていただきます。

大蔵オリエンタルアート

From Sunday, Jul 25th, To Monday Aug 16th, Our shop will be OPEN only by appointment.

Okura Oriental Art

It's been extremely HOT , really with the terrible heat in Japan since the end of the rainy season was announced a few days ago.  However, I would tell you that the heat near the ocean is somewhat different.  As dusk falls, the heat would be calmed down by the cool ocean breeze, then the beautiful sunset would cover the sky.  Often I become absorbed in gazing at the the sky; the sky changes its color every moment, and I feel that nothing can be more beautiful than it. . . . today, I was lucky I saw the Mt.Fuji a long way off. 

暑さはこたえますが、鬱陶しい梅雨がようやく終わり、本格的な夏の到来

同じ暑さでも海に近い場所だと感じ方がまた違うもの。

夕方になれば涼しい風が吹き抜け、空はご覧のように美しく染まります。

ボ～っとして見ていると刻一刻その表情が変化　　何と美しいのでしょう・・・・・

この日は遠くに富士山の姿も

どんな状況でも絵になりますね　

As you know, Daruma is a roly-poly papier-mache doll modeled after the Indian Buddhist monk Bodhidarma who founded Zen Buddhism.   People who have desires buy daruma dolls hoping they will improve their endurance and that, like the roly-poly man which may fall seven times, they can rise again eight times.  I like this positve thought.

Today, I introduce very handsome guys in our shop.  They are all expressive!! 

I have a friend who publishes Daruma magazine which is very popular for Japanese antique lovers.  She introduces many Daruma on the recent issue 67, and you will know more about it!!

Although it was a rainy weekend, we went to Karuizawa again and had a big fun as always.  Since we couldn't spend time outside, we decided to visit Saku, the neighbor town.  Our destination was a Soba(noodle) shop. . . . There we found both thick Soba and very thin Soba.  I knew that thick ones usually tend to be dry and crumbled.   However, this one here was Excellent!  It was very nicely chewy and tasty     I would say that the thin soba was not my type, but I was again satisfied with the " Sweetened and Jellied Bean Paste with Chestnut, made of Buckwheet."  I know I always take pleasure in anything I find while traveling, namely, in tasting the foods. 

休暇を利用して軽井沢へ・・・・・・・・・

梅雨真っ最中なので天気はイマイチですが、それでも色々と楽しめるのが軽井沢

ちょっと足を延ばして、佐久方面へドライブ。お目当ては　美味しい蕎麦　

以前から気になっていたのですが、今回、天気が悪く外で遊ぶことが出来なかったので逆に絶好のタイミング

やけに太い蕎麦と頼りないほど細い蕎麦の組み合わせ　　太い蕎麦はボソボソ感がでがちですがコレはイケる　噛みごたえ十分　

逆に細い方は物足りなさが・・・・・

最後に出てきたのは蕎麦粉を使った栗ようかん　　甘味好きにはたまらない一品　

ペロッと平らげてしまいました

An Artist, Rie Okabayashi, is my neighbor.  I see her from time to time, and it's my pleasure to look at her beautiful artworks on the website　http://rie-okabayashi.com/works.html.  Today, I was luckily invited to her atelier and had a wonderful opportunity to enjoy her works　 I could feel her good sense of balance and gentle personality through the works in the gallery on her website.  But when I see them directly, I notice the limitation of showing the images on the website.  All of her works have very sensitive brushwork and I admired the beauty on the layers of her subtle strokes. I have never seen such beautiful colors on ' Sumi-e'.  I could see her outstanding skill to controll brush strokes and shade with the ink.  I'm sure that her works and antiques will match very well each other!!

I will continue to introduce her works again....

It was truly a wonderful surprise!  One of our customers, who built her new house recently, kindly sent me these mangoes.  ( Thank you very much Mrs. G )  These are not the ordinary mangoes --- astonishing, I was deeply moved, and I just wanted to keep my happiness forever and took this picture. . . but it's a shame, you can't taste it. . .

  「お届け物です」　と突然　宅配業者さんがお店に入ってきました・・・・。

心当たりがない私・・・　「？？？」　

差出人のお名前を見てビックリ

お客様のGさん　　最近ご自宅を新築し微力ながらそのご相談に乗っていた方からでした。

Gさんからのお届け物　MANGO

フルーツ好きの私　色々食べましたがこれは別格　　

なんと美味しいのでしょうか・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

感激を通り越して、驚愕　　

画像ではそれを伝えきれないのが残念

Gさん、素敵な贈り物ありがとうございました

Isn't it too hot and humid??  I don't know I can survive this summer if it gets hotter anymore.

I hung the Fuhrin-wind bell, in an attempt to feel the cool air.  This Fuhrin is made in Suruga(=Shizuoka pref,) it is called Suruga Bamboo Work.  Cricket cage made in Suruga since the Edo period is famous, but I didn't know about the Fuhrin.  I admire all the crafts of Suruga Bamboo Work, because it needs an incredible technique and enormous time.  Today, we can buy them just by one crick through the internet, , , ,it's convenient and at the same time a bit sad, , , but anyway, I bought one and changed the strip of paper from the original one to the Ise Paper Pattern(for Kimono) for its better looking.  Hope our customer will like it and feel a pleasant coolness!!

あまりの暑さ、湿気の多さにヘトヘトな今日この頃・・・

こんな状態で夏本番を乗り切れるのか一抹の不安がよぎります。

気分だけでも涼しくなろうと、風鈴を軒先に吊るしてみました。

駿河竹細工で作られた風鈴。　虫籠は江戸時代より作られていたようですが、、最近はこのようなモノもつくっているんですね。

今でも手作りで丁寧に作られているようです。

このような伝統工芸品もいまではインターネットでカンタンにお買いもの可能　

「ポチッ」と注文しました。　

しかし、新品というのは私のお店にはどうもしっくりこないので、短冊の部分を大蔵オリエンタルアートの雰囲気に合わせ、伊勢型紙に変更してみました。

なかなか良い感じ