Teapot (Kyūsu)
Unknown Artist
mid-19th century
Medium
Stoneware with polychrome overglaze enamels (Kyoto ware)
Dimensions
H. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Late Edo (1615–1868) or early Meiji (1868–1912) period
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Charles Stewart Smith, 1893
Accession Number
93.3.195a, b
Art Historical Context
This exquisite kyūsu, or teapot, from mid-19th-century Japan the refined artistry of Kyoto ware. Crafted from stoneware and adorned with polychrome overglaze enam, it stands just 2½ inches tall—perfectly sized for intimate tea servings. Kyoto ware, produced in the ancient capital, was renowned for its vibrant multi-colored enamel decorations applied over a glaze and fired at lower temperatures to preserve delicate hues, allowing for intricate designs that captured the elegance of Japanese aesthetics. Dating to the Late Edo (1615–1868) or early Meiji (1868–1912) period, this teapot bridges Jap...