Tea jar

Art Historical Context

This petite tea jar, crafted in Bizen ware during Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), exemplifies the rustic elegance of traditional Japanese ceramics. Standing just 3½ inches (8.9 cm) tall, it served as a chaire—a small container for storing precious powdered green tea (matcha) in the refined tea ceremony, or chanoyu. Produced in the Okayama region, Bizen ware is renowned for its unglazedware, fired at high temperatures in wood-burning noborigama kilns, where natural ash from the flames creates subtle, earthy glazes and distinctive flame markings like shigaraki or hidasuki patterns. The Edo era ...