Six-sided flower basket with handle c. 1927 - 1934

Editor: Right in front of us, we have a "Six-sided flower basket with handle" made sometime between 1927 and 1934 by Iizuka Rōkansai. It's crafted from wood and bamboo and lives here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It has a certain understated elegance. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Well, aren't we drawn to the whispers of nature intertwined with human intention? Rōkansai doesn’t just weave bamboo; he dances with it, shaping a vessel that breathes tradition yet sings with a unique rhythm. I wonder if you see how the geometry plays? The six sides giving way to a circle...it's almost like nature trying to find perfect form. Do you think the handle seems at once practical and sculptural? Editor: I see that, yeah, practical, but it seems more ceremonial than practical somehow. Is it typical to find handles like this on baskets of that time? Curator: Good eye! This isn't merely utilitarian, is it? It’s almost as if Rōkansai were exploring the soul of the material. The elevated handle lifts it from being a simple tool and elevates it. Maybe think of it as if he is giving nature a throne. There's something profoundly meditative in his practice, turning functional art into visual poetry. What thoughts spring to mind about its use? Editor: It definitely seems like more than just something you’d pick wildflowers with! It looks really beautiful; almost too perfect for daily use. I now understand how someone might use it in a religious or spiritual practice, as though nature is venerated in the household... Curator: Indeed, to hold flowers becomes an act of reverence, a daily reminder of the delicate balance and fleeting beauty in our world. This object nudges us to slow down, breathe, and perhaps arrange our lives with a bit more intention. Thanks, Rōkansai, for the prompt.