Freshwater Jar (Mizusashi), titled Hotei
Not on view
The first object to enter the tearoom at the commencement of a tea gathering, the mizusashi, replenishes the kettle. It maintains a prominent position in the tearoom for the duration of the ceremony and, therefore, plays a key role in the toriawase, the tea master’s deliberate selection and combination of utensils that make each tea gathering a unique event. This freshwater jar epitomizes the “perfect imperfection” aesthetic admired by masters of Japanese tea during the 1500s. The potter left the marks of his hands and fingers as he created the form on the wheel and made incisions in the surface. The long firing process in a wood-fired kiln further deformed the vessel and left scorch marks and cracks that interact visually with the vitreous green natural ash glaze.
