Before water was plumbed through houses, there was a well in the kitchen or one shared among neighbors. Completing the pulley system, an anchor such as this would have once been used as a counter weight for the bucket to go down to retrieve water. Years of use, going in and out of water and now about a century of not going in a well, created an incredible rusty texture and patina all over as the iron corodied.

When Misako found this little treasure, she had just picked up the Ippo Mori (1798-1872) Crabs and anchor Sumi ink painting from a completely different art dealer in Kyoto. Because of this fortuitous find, the two are now considered a set. The painting features the larger counterpart to this anchor, mirroring the same artisanally crafted forms of the object with little crabs around it.

With both items together there are endless possibilities for the conversation that can be had between them and their stewards. Do they live in close proximity to each other? Or are they separate and one becomes a visual introduction to the other that is seen later? How do you imagine these pieces playing together in your space?