The Sekishu School of Bonseki was founded by Sadamasa Katagiri (Lord Sekishu) more than 300 years ago. Lord Sekishu, being the famous tea-ceremony instructor for the 4th Tokugawa Shogun Ietsuna, contributed a great deal to spread BONSEKI, tea-ceremony and flower-arrangement of the Sekishu School, and these unique arts have been both widely practiced and appreciated by peers, priests, rich merchants and military class. Particularly Senno Rikyu, the founder of tea-ceremony, was said to have interests in BONSEKI and it flourished under his direction.

In old days in Japan, certain rocks and stones were worshipped as sacred objects. Therefore, BONSEKI using rocks and stones became very popular as a high-toned and refined art.

BONSEKI is the art of reproducing various scenaries of nature by arranging white-sand, pebbles and stones on a black oval lacquer tray with special stand, using tools such as spoon-like implements, feathers and seives.

Another variation of BONSEKI is called BONGA. It is a picture produced with fine-colored sand, fixed by a special method on a black lacquered board so it can be displayed on the wall.

BONSEKI is an art which can express the splendor of nature both dynamically and delicately by combining natural and artificial beauty. We hope to maintain and hand down this art keeping its mysteries, tradition and techniques as an oasis of everyday life.

sand chest (to put in sands & tools)

tools