Shigaraki Ware Jar Japan, Muromachi period, 1400s stoneware with natural ash glaze, 11 1/2 inches (29.2 cm) high Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Kurtz Jr. 1972.248

Used to store tea leaves, this jar has an uneven shape, rough surface, accidental scorch marks, and irregular ash glaze. These features suited the taste of Japanese tea masters, who searched for tea objects that exhibited a spirit of humility. A farmer may have originally used the jar for seed storage before it was used for chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony.


To Japan