Tea Container Item Number: Ed5.3164 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Izumo ware ceramic tea caddy (without its lid). A small globular form on a flat spirally cut unglazed base showing fine light grey body. Thin translucent extremely shiny brown glaze, dark at the lip, with a broad splash of pale green-white flowing down the side, where the glaze stops in an even line short of the base.
History Of Use
Called chaire (茶入れ), this is a type of tea caddy used for storing concentrated think green powdered tea to serve koicha (濃茶; “thick tea”) in a traditional form of the Japanese tea ceremony known as sadō or chadō (茶道; the way of tea) and chanoyu (茶の湯). This elaborate ritual became an important part of Japan’s social fabric early in the 16th century, and is a choregraphed way of preparing and serving tea. Koicha is served at a chaji (a more formal tea ceremony than a chakai). Izumo ware is made at a minor kiln in the village of Rakuzan, in the northwestern end of Honshu.
Narrative
Ed5.3160-64 (five ceramic tea caddies) were purchased from Sotheby's, NY, in 1982. The containers each had an ivory lid, however the lids were seized at the border due to the ban on the export and import of material derived from endangered species (CITES).
Item History
What
Who
- Culture
- Japanese
- Previous Owner
- Sotheby's
- Received from
- Fyfe-Smith Memorial Oriental Collection Fund (Funding source) and Sotheby's (Seller)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Matsue, Shimane, Japan
When
- Creation Date
- between 1775 and 1825
- Ownership Date
- before August 27, 1982
- Acquisition Date
- on August 27, 1982
Other
- Item Classes
- ceramics
- Condition
- good
- Current Location
- Case 78
- Accession Number
- 0845/0005