A vintage Japanese Nambu cast iron ashtray, with potential alternative uses as an incense burner, candle stand, etc.  The embossed design on the lid with four kanji characters was taken from Tsukubai Water Basin at Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, which is best known for the Rock Garden.  The square basin represents a particle used to complete four Kanji characters on each side of it.  It reads, "ware tada taru wo shiru ("I know only that I am content") -- meaning "one who knows that he is content is happy even if he is poor; one who does not know that he is content is unhappy, even if he is rich."

Nambu Ironware (or Nambu tekki in Japanese) is a form of metalwork produced in Iwate Prefecture. It is a traditional craft that was first created in the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868). The name "Nambu Ironware" comes from the fact that it was first produced in the Nambu domain during the Edo period.

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