Minato ware tea pot

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    mid-19th century
  • Geography

    Sakai, Osaka prefecture, Japan
  • Material

    Earthenware with lead glaze; copper chain, copper and rattan handle
  • Dimension

    H x W: 12.6 x 15 cm (4 15/16 x 5 7/8 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1897.54
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1897.54

Object Details

  • Artist

    Ueda Kichibei (died ca. 1861-64)
  • Description

    Tea-pot, pear-shaped; disk cover with loop handle attached by chain; three short feet. Thinly potted.
    Clay: soft, white.
    Glaze: brilliant olive-green and dark olive-yellow; crackled. Iridescent. Inside: cream, crackled.
    Mark: square seal, “Senshu Sakai; Hon Minato-yaki; Kichibei”
  • Marks

    Square seal, “Senshu Sakai; Hon Minato-yaki; Kichibei”
    Square seal, “Senshu Sakai; Hon Minato-yaki; Kichibei”
  • Provenance

    To 1897
    Yamanaka & Company, New York to 1897 [1]
    From 1897 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1897 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 178, 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

    Tea for...Everyone: Popular Ceramics for Drinking Tea in Japan (March 8 to October 19, 2008)
    Life and Leisure: Everyday Life in Japanese Art (August 14, 2004 to February 20, 2005)
    Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art (October 3, 1947 to February 25, 1956)
    Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art, 1946 (May 3, 1946 to October 6, 1947)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    Sakai, Osaka prefecture, Japan
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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