WAGASA - Magnífico ejemplar de Wagasa - Umbrella

A Jewel of Ephemeral Craftsmanship: Wagasa Umbrella in Oiled Paper and Bamboo
This exceptional Oriental parasol represents a harmonious dialogue between technical functionality and the visual lyricism of East Asia in the mid-20th century. Entirely handmade, the piece inherits from the Wagasa tradition (in Japan) or Yousan (in China), objects where bamboo engineering and the alchemy of oiled paper converge to create a structure of architectural beauty.
Exegesis of Auspicial Symbolism
The piece is not merely ornamental; it is a manifesto of good wishes and Oriental philosophy. Its surface narrates a story of endurance and elevation through three iconic pillars:
• The Crane (Tsuru/Xianhe): Considered the 'bird of immortality'. Its presence in the work symbolizes extraordinary longevity, loyalty, and nobility. In Eastern lore, cranes are said to carry souls to celestial paradises, granting the piece an aura of peace and spiritual transcendence.
• The Flowering Plum (Meihua): It is the first flower to awaken after the icy winter, often blooming among the snow. It represents resilience, hope, and purity. It is the symbol of beauty that triumphs over adversity.
• The Bamboo (Take): For its ability to bend in the wind without breaking, it embodies integrity, flexibility, and inner strength. Its evergreen greenness alludes to eternal vitality.
Together, these elements form a triad that attracts fortune and harmony to the space they guard.

Historical Context and Collecting
From an aesthetic standpoint, this parasol fits into the late Chinoiserie current that fascinated the West during the Mid-Century period (c. 1950–1970). In that era, leading European and American interior designers rediscovered the value of Oriental objects, integrating them into avant-garde salons as accents of exquisite refinement and cosmopolitanism.
The internal structure is a display of technical mastery: a radial system of finely carved bamboo rods, joined by a complex cotton lashing that recalls the geometry of a loom. The paper, treated with vegetable oils to obtain its characteristic amber transparency, has developed a temporary patina that only the passage of decades can confer.
Value in Contemporary Interior Design
Today, these pieces are highly sought after in the collectibles market for their dual dimension: as ethnographic objects and as wall sculptures. Their condition and the vibrancy of their painting make them an ideal aesthetic investment for:
• Art Galleries: As an example of cross-cultural applied arts.
• Luxury interior design: To bring organic warmth and a focal point of history into minimalist or classic spaces.
Ultimately, this is a work in which the fragility of paper and the hardness of bamboo come together to preserve a fragment of the history of universal taste.