Rustic vintage Wabi-Sabi oakwood bench with charismatic patina, 1850s

This oak bench perfectly embodies the enduring Japanese concept of ’wabi-sabi’. Made from an ancient piece of wood characterized by significant fissures and gaps, the artist organically follows the essence of his material while fashioning it into a piece of art. In contrast to the organic essence of the material, the artist painstakingly put his human touch by creating a poetic sculptural shape. With its impressive organic form and artistic ornamentation, the bench tells a story, and it is a philosophical one. It is about an ideal relationship between humans and nature, about acceptance and humbleness, about a beauty that is more akin to poetry, about the consciousness of "the perfect imperfection". Based on the patina and workmanship, we conservatively date the bench to the mid-19th century.