Tea Caddy (Chaire)

Japan

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 199

The clean shape of this tea caddy and the unique texture of the glaze are probably what caught Moore’s attention. Tea culture (chanoyu) in Japan dates back to the medieval period and relates to Buddhist practices, but it was primarily Sen no Rikyū (1522–1591) in Kyoto who established the Japanese-style tea. He created austere surroundings for the tea gatherings with a preference for Japanese utensils that are often imperfect or asymmetrical, an aesthetic known as wabi-sabi.

Tea Caddy (Chaire), Stoneware with iron glaze (Seto ware); ivory lid, Japan

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.