Artwork Page for Water Container (Mizusashi) with Riverscape

Details / Information for Water Container (Mizusashi) with Riverscape

Water Container (Mizusashi) with Riverscape

絵志野水指

late 1500s–early 1600s

Japan, Momoyama period (1573-1615) to Edo period

(1615-1858)
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Medium
Stoneware with underglaze iron oxide slip decoration (Mino ware, Shino type) and lacquer lid (modern replacement)
Measurements
Diameter: 19.6 cm (7 11/16 in.); Lid: 2.9 x 14.7 cm (1 1/8 x 5 13/16 in.); Container: 18.4 cm (7 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1972.9
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The water this container held during a tea gathering was used to fill the kama, or iron pot in which the water is heated.

Description

Mizusashi are jars used to hold water for the preparation of tea at tea gatherings. This one was produced in the Mino area of present-day Gifu Prefecture in central Japan. It is called a “picture Shino” (e-shino) mizusashi, as it has an abstracted design on one side, said to resemble an ink painting of reeds and small boats along a riverbank, and a geometric pattern on the other. With its irregular shape and thick, luminous glaze, it is of a variety favored by eminent tea masters of the Momoyama period.
A squat, unevenly cylindrical stoneware vessel features a thick, creamy white glaze with red-brown spots. Two horizontal ridges wrap around the middle, emphasizing its weight. Dark gray brushstrokes create overlapping crisscross patterns along the bottom, accented by a toasted brown patch. Sparse, thin lines mark the upper body. The flared rim holds a flat, glossy black lid with a thin arched handle, contrasting the vessel's rustic texture.

Water Container (Mizusashi) with Riverscape

late 1500s–early 1600s

Japan, Momoyama period (1573-1615) to Edo period (1615-1858)

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