japanese antique kamidana pewter sake bottle and wood flame, kamidana accessory

Love Japanese Style Like We Do

A pair of Japanese antique heishi-guchi (sake bottles) with an omiki-guchi (flame shape decoration). Representing water and fire, the two elements seen necessary for purification in Japanese religion, they are offered at the Japanese kamidana (home altar).

The heishi-guchi sake bottles are made of pewter and have some small surface scratches and areas of whitish tarnish. The omiki-guchi flame decorations are hand carved from hinoki wood.

They are placed either side of the shrine on the god shelf, particularly at new year. Older pieces look great with an antique kamidana shrine.

- measures in total (flame and sake bottle) 16 cm (6.2”) high x 5 cm (1.9”) across.
- weighs 340 gm.

(listing for pair of sake bottles with flame)

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ABOUT OUR ANTIQUE, VINTAGE AND OTHER ITEMS
We list pieces we feel are worthy of display. There may be scratches, dents, fading and signs of wear and tear. We try to explain the condition of each item exactly, but may miss something.

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OMIKI-GUCHI
Omiki-guchi literally means, sacred sake mouth. A stylized flame, representing fire, that springs from the mouth of a sacred sake bottle, representing water. In Japanese religion, fire and water are the origins of human life and are the means by which man can purify himself. Symbols of these two staples are important sacred tools to be offered at the Japanese home altar. An open flame was not a good idea for the home, so finely crafted wood and metal replicas came into being. The style of these mingei flames differed depending on the local area where they were made, with techniques being passed down through generations.

The wooden flames are particularly beautiful, hand crafted into delicately scented flames from Yoshino hinoki, a variety of particularly fragrant Japanese cypress. Some are very decorative, being made in a net or complex twisted pattern of wood strips. Only straight grained wood, free of knots is used, and only hinoki is flexible and strong enough to be cut into the fine strips, necessary for fitting together the pieces into a crosshatch net pattern.

In Japan, New Year is a time for change and new hope. The house is thoroughly cleaned, as is the home altar. This is when a new special pair of mingei flames are displayed on the kamidana, to start the year off right.

With the advent of electricity and low wattage candle lamps, the popularity of Omiki-guchi declined, but there does seem to be a new interest and appreciation of this folk art recently.