tea

shelf 3

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.

 

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A bowl with undulating sides and rim. Cream and brown colored with a crackled surface and abstract designs scratched into the surface.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu, Japanese, 1791–1875

Tea Bowl with Tomobako (Box) and Wrapping Cloth, 1800s

Stoneware with glaze

Edgar J. Lownes Fund 1987.060

Small vessel in shades of reddish brown and black, standing on three rounded feet, with a cream colored lid.

Japanese

Bizen Ware Tea Caddy, 1800s

Stoneware with glaze and ivory lid

Gift of Isaac C. Bates 09.031 

A stoneware teapot with enamel floral and abstract decorative motifs that are red, green, and blue.

Japanese

Teapot, late 1800s–1900s

Stoneware with glaze and overglaze enamels

Bequest of Isaac C. Bates 13.143

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.

Japanese

Water Jar, 1600s

Earthenware with glaze and lacquer lid

Bequest of Isaac C. Bates 13.247ab