Tea bowl

Fine-grained, buff clay. Ash glaze with large irregular crackle, appearing pale yellow-green where thin, olive-green where thicker or pooled in bottom. Foot completely glazed, with circular scar from clay firing ring.

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Historical period(s)
Muromachi period, 1490-1530
Medium
Stoneware with ash glaze
Style
Seto ware or Mino ware
Dimensions
H x Diam: 6.6 Ɨ 16.4 cm (2 5/8 Ɨ 6 7/16 in)
Geography
Japan, Aichi prefecture or Gifu prefecture
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1901.49
On View Location
Freer Gallery 12: The Peacock Room Comes to America
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Tea bowl

Keywords
Japan, Mino ware, Muromachi period (1333 - 1573), Seto ware, stoneware, tea
Provenance

James Lord Bowes (1834-1899), England [1]

To 1901
R. Wagner, Berlin, to 1901 [2]

From 1901 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from R. Wagner, in 1901 [3]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

Notes:

[1] See Curatorial Remark 12, Louise A. Court, in the object record. See also, Louise A. Cort, Seto and Mino Ceramics, 1992, copy in object file.

[2] See Original Pottery List, L. 919, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[3] See note 2.

[4] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

R. Wagner (C.L. Freer source)
James Lord Bowes 1834-1899
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Description

Fine-grained, buff clay. Ash glaze with large irregular crackle, appearing pale yellow-green where thin, olive-green where thicker or pooled in bottom. Foot completely glazed, with circular scar from clay firing ring.

Published References
  • Louise Allison Cort. Seto and Mino Ceramics. Washington and Honolulu, 1992. cat. 7, p. 73.
  • , no. 39 Lexington, Massachusetts, 2018. p. 147, fig. 20.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
The Story of the Beautiful
Google Cultural Institute
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