Tea ceremony water jar, Bizen ware

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    1625-1650
  • Geography

    Imbe, Okayama prefecture, Japan
  • Material

    Stoneware with brown slip under accidental wood-ash glaze; lacquered wooden lid
  • Dimension

    H x W: 16.8 x 20.1 cm (6 5/8 x 7 15/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1900.23a-b
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1900.23a-b

Object Details

  • Description

    Clay: gray stoneware, very hard.
    Glaze: mottled dark brown and yellow with much gravel and slag adhering.
    Mark: incised on base.
  • Marks

    Mark: incised on base.
  • Provenance

    To 1900
    Yamanaka & Company, to 1900 [1]
    From 1900 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1900 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 64, 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.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Seasons: Tea (February 5 to August 7, 2011)
    Seasons: Arts of Japan (February 5, 2011 to January 13, 2013)
    The Potter's Mark: Tea Ceramics and Their Makers (August 18, 2007 to February 24, 2008)
    Freer and Tea: 100 Years of The Book of Tea (November 19, 2005 to May 29, 2006)
    The Tea Ceremony in Japan X (April 3 to November 28, 1999)
    Japanese Art (May 9, 1993 to November 21, 1995)
    Japanese Ceramics from Past to Present (February 18, 1983 to February 16, 1984)
  • Previous custodian or owner

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

    Imbe, Okayama prefecture, Japan
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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