Tea-ceremony water jar (mizusashi) with design of plum branches, Karatsu ware

Object Details

• Description

  Water-jar, ovoid. Black lacquer cover.

  Clay: dense, gray-white.

  Glaze: brilliant cream, finely crackled in dark brown.

  Decoration: in black, under glaze.

• Label

  The motif of blossoming plum branches on this jar was executed by a painter trained in the style practiced by the Kano workshops of professional painters. Kilns sponsored by warrior domains to produce elite wares for use in obligatory gift exchanges favored the Kano-style designs. The iron pigment on pale clay evokes the Chinese-style ink painting on paper, a specialty of Kano artists.

• Provenance

  To 1892

  Tozo Takayanagi, New York to 1892 [1]

  From 1892 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Tozo Takayanagi in 1892 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [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.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Arts of Japan (July 14, 2012 to January 13, 2013)

  Seasons: Arts of Japan (February 5, 2011 to January 13, 2013)

  Cornucopia: Ceramics of Southern Japan (December 19, 2009 to January 9, 2011)

  Tea Bowls in Bloom: Botanical Decoration on Tea Ceremony Ceramics (February 3 to July 15, 2007)

  Japanese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to January 17, 1980)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 3 and 4 (February 25, 1956 to January 1, 1963)

  Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art (October 3, 1947 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art, 1946 (May 3, 1946 to October 6, 1947)

  Japanese and Korean Pottery, and Korean Bronze (May 2, 1923 to March 22, 1943)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Takayanagi Tozo 高柳陶造 (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Nakazato kiln, Karatsu, Saga prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1850s, 1680s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Takayanagi, Tozo

• Place

  Nakazato kiln, Japan, Saga prefecture, Karatsu

• Topic

  Water, Tea, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Stoneware, Karatsu ware, Kenjo Karatsu type, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Lacquer, Ceramics

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)