Tea ceremony water jar, possibly Yatsushiro ware

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 2
Download Image IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    1700-1800
  • Geography

    Kumamoto prefecture, Japan
  • Material

    Stoneware with white slip inlay under greenish clear glaze; gold lacquer repair, lacquer lid
  • Dimension

    H x Diam: 13 × 22.2 cm (5 1/8 × 8 3/4 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1900.31a-b
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1900.31a-b

Object Details

  • Description

    Tea ceremony water jar (mizusashi) wide mouth; low foot. Lacquer repairs. Lacquer cover.
    Clay: hard, grayish.
    Glaze: brownish-gray, with overflows of olive and gray-white; inside: bright; outside: of dull lustre.
    Decoration: incised and inlaid with white paste, under glaze.
  • 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. 76, 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

    Cornucopia: Ceramics of Southern Japan (December 19, 2009 to January 9, 2011)
  • Previous custodian or owner

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

    Kumamoto prefecture, Japan
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

    The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring