Tea bowl

Object Details

• Description

  Deep ovoidal; bold modeled foot. Gold lacquer repairs.

  Clay: hard, dense, white; porcelain.

  Glaze: grayish-cream; blistered, crackled and stained; finely wrinkled on outer base; finger marks.

  Spurs: seven refractory-clay spurs on foot only.

• Label

  The size and shape of this bowl suggest that it may have been made to order for the Japanese market, for use as a tea bowl. Although its shape is quite typical for a provincial Korean kiln of the second half of the sixteenth century, its size is smaller than usual. Alternatively, the bowl may represent the "discovery" of the potential of an ordinary tableware bowl to be used as a tea bowl. Slightly later bowls, such as F1902.68, demonstrate changes made to agree more closely with Japanese taste.

• Provenance

  Prince of Kaga Collection, Kanazawa, Japan [1]

  To 1897

  Yamanaka & Company, New York to 1897 [2]

  From 1897 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1897 [3]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

  Notes:

  [1] This is one of ten tea bowls (F1897.81 - F1897.90) acquired as a group from the former collection of the "Prince of Kaga." presumably the last head

  of the Maeda house, the daimyo family that had served as feudal lords of Kaga Province (now part of Ishikawa prefecture, centering around the castle town of Kanazawa) since the beginning of the 17th century (see Curatorial Remark 5, Louise Cort, 1982, in the object record, as well as F1897.89a-c, Curatorial Remark 10, Louise Cort, September 1982).

  [2] Undated folder sheet note. See Original Pottery List, L. 687, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] 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

• Previous custodian or owner

  Maeda daimyo of Kaga

  Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  probably Gyeongsangnam-do province, Korea

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1590s, 1550s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Maeda, daimyo of Kaga, Yamanaka and Co.

• Place

  Gyeongsangnam-do province, Korea

• Topic

  Tea, Charles Lang Freer collection, Porcelain, Art, Joseon period (1392 - 1910), Clear glaze, Lacquer repair, Japanese Art, Lacquer, Ceramics

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)