Teabowl
ca. 1860
Medium
Clay with thin glaze (Echizen ware)
Dimensions
H. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm); W. sq. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Accession Number
36.120.493
Art Historical Context
This delicate teabowl, crafted by the potter Setosuke around1860, exemplifies the ceramics of Japan's late Edo period (1615–1868). Made from clay with a thin glaze characteristic of Echizen ware—a tradition from Fukui Prefecture known for its earthy, functional pottery—this piece measures just 2⅛ inches high with a 4½-inch square profile, perfect for the intimate ritual of chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony. chizen ware, one of Japan's ancient kilns during the Edo era, favored robust forms and natural glazes fired in wood-burning anagama kilns, where ash would melt into subtle, iridescent sur...