The beauty of the bamboo’s graceful ascent, the delicate mottling known colloquially as takenoko, the overall patina of age, and the masterful selection that has transformed the finest portion of the bamboo into a flower vessel—all of these elements speak to an artistry rarely seen in modern times. That this piece has endured for over two centuries is nothing short of a miracle.

As for Kyūsō, a figure whose name is scarcely recorded in contemporary history, we can only speculate about the kind of person he was. Yet, for having left behind such an exquisite flower vessel, I wish to express my deepest gratitude and profound respect.