Image

A textured, rectangular vessel. Its cream- and rust-colored surface is embellished with two six-dot designs. The flat dark lid is topped with a small knob.
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Unknown Maker, Japanese

Water Jar

Description

Maker

Unknown Maker, Japanese

Culture

Japanese

Title

Water Jar

Period

Edo Period

Year

1600s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

lacquer, wood

Geography

Place Made: Kyoto; Origin: Japan

Dimensions

15.2 cm (6 inches) (height)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Bequest of Isaac C. Bates

Object Number

13.247ab

Type

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Trading Earth
Ceramics, Commodities, and Commerce
Apr 09, 2022 – Jul 20, 2025

Label copy

Chanoyu, a practice focused on the artful preparation and consumption of tea, developed in Japan in the 1500s. It employs a carefully curated array of tea utensils. Tea bowls are central to chanoyu and highly valued by tea practitioners. Tomobako, special wooden or lacquer boxes made for storing tea bowls, play a vital role in protecting the utensils and recording their history. Tomobako can feature the potter’s signature and the practitioner’s appraisals and appreciations, enriching the experience of chanoyu.

Samurai At Leisure
Nov 26, 2019 – May 24, 2020

Label copy

The preparation and drinking of tea was an important practice for the warrior class. A pleasurable pursuit that invoked multiple senses, tea was an art form that nurtured the collection of a range of beautiful implements. Grouped here are a variety of ceramic vessels that were produced for the tea ceremony. Carefully hand-built into meaningful forms and embellished with carvings, slips, and glazes, each of these vessels functioned not only as a tea-making utensil but, more importantly, as an object to be appreciated and displayed.

Related Publications

Related Publications

Use & Feedback

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Japanese
Water Jar, 1600s
Earthenware with glaze and lacquer lid
15.2 cm (6 inches) (height)
Bequest of Isaac C. Bates 13.247ab

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