Gourd-shaped tea caddy with two lugs

Object Details

• Artist

  Mark of Moemon

• Description

  Buff clay. String-cut base. Two lugs on shoulder. One large and three small indentations evenly spaced around lower body. Cross-shaped mark incised on base. Iron glaze, appearing rust brown with gritty texture where thin, lustrous dark brown where thick. Inside unglazed.

• Marks

  Incised mark: [Jap], on base, over string-cut.

• Inscriptions

  The cross-shaped mark incised on the base of this jar imitates the mark allegedly used by the potter Mo'emon, sometimes identified as one of the "Six Masters of Seto" said to have been authorized by Oda Nobunaga in 1563 to use personal marks on their pieces.

• Provenance

  To 1902

  Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921), Kidderminster, England, to 1902 [1]

  From 1902 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), given by Michael Tomkinson in 1902 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1172, 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

• Previous custodian or owner

  Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Seto or Kyoto, Aichi prefecture or Kyoto prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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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, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Tomkinson, Michael

• Place

  Aichi prefecture, Kyoto, Japan, Seto, Kyoto prefecture

• Topic

  Tea, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Ivory, Stoneware, Kyoto ware, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Brown and black glaze, Ceramics, Seto ware

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)