Small jar used as tea caddy

Buff clay. Concentrically trimmed base, scarred by clay loss when excess glaze was chipped away. Ash glaze, stopping above edge of base but running irregularly to and onto base, appearing translucent amber with large patches of opaque light brown streaked with blue. Glaze applied over overall coating of iron slip; iron from slip is pooled in dark brown areas below neck, at lower edge of ash glaze, and inside in bottom. Inside glazed.

Historical period(s)
Muromachi period, 1550-1570
Medium
Stoneware with iron slip under ash glaze; ivory lid
Style
Mino ware
Dimensions
H x Diam: 5.4 × 9 cm (2 1/8 × 3 9/16 in)
Geography
Japan, Gifu prefecture
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1902.15a-b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Jar or tea caddy

Keywords
Japan, Mino ware, Muromachi period (1333 - 1573), stoneware, tea
Provenance

To 1902
Yamanaka & Company, to 1902 [1]

From 1902 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1902 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1090, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
Yamanaka and Co. (C.L. Freer source) 1917-1965

Description

Buff clay. Concentrically trimmed base, scarred by clay loss when excess glaze was chipped away. Ash glaze, stopping above edge of base but running irregularly to and onto base, appearing translucent amber with large patches of opaque light brown streaked with blue. Glaze applied over overall coating of iron slip; iron from slip is pooled in dark brown areas below neck, at lower edge of ash glaze, and inside in bottom. Inside glazed.

Published References
  • Louise Allison Cort. Seto and Mino Ceramics. Washington and Honolulu, 1992. cat. 19, pp. 23, 86.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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