Freshwater Jar (Mizusashi), Named “Hotei”

ca. 1600

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 228

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.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

伊賀耳付水指　銘　「布袋」
Title: Freshwater Jar (Mizusashi), Named “Hotei”
Period: Momoyama period (1573–1615)
Date: ca. 1600
Culture: Japan
Medium: Stoneware with natural ash glaze (Iga ware)
Dimensions: H. 7 1/2 (19.1 cm); Diam. 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Gift of Peggy and Richard M. Danziger, 2024
Object Number: 2024.553.1a–c
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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