Five vintage Japanese temple candles, handmade, rosoku, natural plant outlet based materials, traditional craft, ikari form for temple, tea, gifts

Five vintage Japanese temple candles, handmade, rosoku, natural plant based materials, traditional craft, ikari form for temple, tea, gifts

#1396 Five Japanese temple candles (rosoku), handmade, two large red ones, each 10"h. And three white ones, one large,10"h; and two medium, 8"h, and 7"h.
Candle making is a much respected traditional craft in Japan. The handmade processes use all plant based materials, rather than animal fat, beeswax, or paraffin. The natural plant ingredients produce less soot, and smell nicer.

Traditional rosoku use a large, thick hollow wick, made of bulrush, wrapped with washi paper, which produces a large flame that flickers softly, with minimal dripping.
Rosoku wax (mokuro) is made from the fruit of the hase tree, which belongs to the sumac family. Small amounts of other natural ingredients, such as lacquer sap, may also be used.

Ikari shaped rosoku, like these, very wide at the top, and a little wide at the bottom are considered temple candles. Thinner, straight shaped rosoku are used for the tea ceremony, and more general use. All are also used as offerings, and for meditation, gifts, and decorative purposes.
This set of rosoku are old and have been used for display. They have a number of small nicks, small scratches, and smudges (see photos). Note the soft beige coloring of the mokuro material (the white candles have a white finish coat). They are beautiful, handmade artistic pieces.

The large rosoku are about 3"diam at the top, and 2"diam at the bottom. The small ones are 1.5" and 1.75" at top, and 1"diam at bottom. C.1960

The 19th century English scientist Michael Faraday (1791-1867) praised the superior performance of the traditional Japanese candle in The Chemical History of a Candle, a compilation of lectures given outlet by Faraday at the Royal Institute in London in 1861.

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