Shigaraki Tea Jar (Chatsubo)

This tea jar (chatsubo) was likely produced around the time of Kobori Enshū (1579–1647), the renowned tea master who served the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu. During this period, Shigaraki teaware was made not only in Shigaraki but also in Kyoto, where demand was high. The vessel’s shape resembles that of a katatsuki, or “square-shouldered” tea caddy, suggesting the refined taste of Kyoto’s tea practitioners. Its nearly symmetrical form and the washed and blended Shigaraki clay, fired to a deep reddish-brown hue, both reveal a high level of craftsmanship. “Stone bursts,” a result of firing, speckle areas of the jar’s smooth surface. The mouth and body have been repaired with kintsugi, creating an intriguing golden “landscape.”