Tea Caddy
1590-1630 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This tea caddy was made to contain the finely powdered green tea used in the making of so-called thick tea in the Japanese tea ceremony. This involves scooping and pouring the powdered tea from the caddy into a ceramic bowl. Hot water is added and the mixture is worked into a viscous suspension with a bamboo whisk. The one bowlful of tea is usually shared by four or five guests. Japanese ceramic tea caddies are small because they are required to hold tea for only one serving.
Place
Bizen is located near the coast of Japan's Inland Sea a little over 100 kilometres west of Osaka. It has long been known for its deposits of high quality iron-bearing clay. This turns a distinctive reddish brown colour when fired. Natural ash glazing and irregular scorching of the clay surface are achieved by the use of a wood-firing kiln.
Historical Associations
This tea caddy was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some, like this piece, were old, but the majority were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain.
This tea caddy was made to contain the finely powdered green tea used in the making of so-called thick tea in the Japanese tea ceremony. This involves scooping and pouring the powdered tea from the caddy into a ceramic bowl. Hot water is added and the mixture is worked into a viscous suspension with a bamboo whisk. The one bowlful of tea is usually shared by four or five guests. Japanese ceramic tea caddies are small because they are required to hold tea for only one serving.
Place
Bizen is located near the coast of Japan's Inland Sea a little over 100 kilometres west of Osaka. It has long been known for its deposits of high quality iron-bearing clay. This turns a distinctive reddish brown colour when fired. Natural ash glazing and irregular scorching of the clay surface are achieved by the use of a wood-firing kiln.
Historical Associations
This tea caddy was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some, like this piece, were old, but the majority were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Stoneware, with a natural ash glaze and ivory lid |
| Brief description | Tea caddy of stoneware with natural ash glaze, with ivory lid; Japan, Bizen, ca. 1590-1630 |
| Physical description | Tea caddy, incised and sculptued stoneware with natural ash glaze; ivory lid. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
In 1876 this museum acquired a large collection of Japanese ceramics from the International Exhibition in Philadelphia, U.S.A. Many of the ceramics were modern, highly decorated pieces made for the European market. The collection also contained some older objects made for use in the Japanese tea ceremony. Such objects had never been seen in Britain before.(27/03/2003) |
| Object history | Purchased from the Japanese Commissioners for the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876, accessioned in 1877. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Association | |
| Summary | Object Type This tea caddy was made to contain the finely powdered green tea used in the making of so-called thick tea in the Japanese tea ceremony. This involves scooping and pouring the powdered tea from the caddy into a ceramic bowl. Hot water is added and the mixture is worked into a viscous suspension with a bamboo whisk. The one bowlful of tea is usually shared by four or five guests. Japanese ceramic tea caddies are small because they are required to hold tea for only one serving. Place Bizen is located near the coast of Japan's Inland Sea a little over 100 kilometres west of Osaka. It has long been known for its deposits of high quality iron-bearing clay. This turns a distinctive reddish brown colour when fired. Natural ash glazing and irregular scorching of the clay surface are achieved by the use of a wood-firing kiln. Historical Associations This tea caddy was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some, like this piece, were old, but the majority were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain. |
| Bibliographic reference | Augustus Wollaston Franks and M. Shioda, Japanese Pottery. [London]: Chapman & Hall Ltd., 1880. South Kensington Museum Art Handbooks; 18.
Catalogue number 30 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 189&A-1877 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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