Bizen ware freshwater jar, with accessories

Object Details

• Description

  Square seal impressed on bottom, inside. Five vertical slashes on outside walls. Thrown on wheel, then rim distorted into triangular shape. Placed in kiln so as to receive maximum exposure to ash; where ash has flaked off (inside), body shows gray. Black lacquered wooden lid.

• Marks

  This piece bears an impressed square seal in the interior. See the curatorial remarks field, comment number 1 for a discussion of this seal.

• Label

  The imprint of a large square seal on this basin was purposely placed in the center for visibility during chanoyu gatherings, rather than modestly hidden on the base. Similar-perhaps identical-square seal impressions appear on several tea ceramics made at the Shigaraki kilns and excavated from the site of a merchant's shophouse in Kyoto. Both Bizen and Shigaraki were important sources of tea ceramics for the Kyoto market. The square seal prominently imprinted on these wares may mark a special order placed with potters in both locations by a tea customer, if not by the merchant himself.

• Provenance

  Takashi Yanagi, Kyoto [1]

  To 1998

  Peggy and Richard M. Danziger, New York City, purchased from Takashi Yanagi, to 1998 [2]

  From 1998

  Freer Gallery of Art, given by Peggy and Richard M. Danziger in 1998

  Notes:

  [1] According to Curatorial Note 6 in the object record.

  [2] See Note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Imperfectly Beautiful: Inventing Japanese Ceramic Style (October 14, 2017 - October 14, 2019)

  The Potter's Mark: Tea Ceramics and Their Makers (August 18, 2007 to February 24, 2008)

  Isamu Noguchi and Modern Japanese Ceramics (May 3 to September 7, 2003)

  Beyond the Legacy--Anniversary Acquisitions of the Freer Gallery of Art (October 11, 1998 to April 11, 1999)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Takashi Yanagi

  Peggy and Richard M. Danziger

• Origin

  Imbe, Okayama prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Peggy and Richard M. Danziger

• 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.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1590s, 1600s

• Name

  Takashi, Yanagi, Danziger, Peggy and Richard M.

• Place

  Imbe, Japan, Okayama prefecture

• Topic

  Water, Tea, Art, Momoyama period (1573 - 1615), Bizen ware, Stoneware, Japanese Art, Lacquer, Ceramics

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)