Traditional Japanese Grinding Bowl used for Summer Decoration
The garden at the Buaiso residence (circa late 1800s to early 1900s) in Machida, Tokyo, Japan, has a suribachi (Japanese grinding bowl) that is being used as a decoration.
I often see temples and shrines with water basins, stone bowls, etc, that are filled with water and have seasonal flowers and leaves placed inside for decorative purposes. I love this kind garden decoration, which makes me feel a bit cooler during the hot and humid days of summer.
The suribachi have been in used in Japanese kitchens since at least 1000 AD. The glazed bowl has rough, unglazed patterns backed into this type of pottery bowl. A wooden pestle (surikogi) made from Japanese prickly ash (sansho tree) is used to grind ingredients like black sesame seeds. The pestle made from the prickly ash tree is said to add a slight flavoring to the food.
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
31 mm ISO 100 for 4.0 sec. at ƒ/11