Height 11.3 cm, mouth diameter 20.1 cm, bottom diameter 9.6 cm
This is a large flat sui-jire in the so-called “sunagane bag” shape, with a ring flower design around the mouth. The body was covered with a black brush over the base, and then an ash design was scraped off, and fireflies were painted on the ash with iron pigments, then the entire surface was covered with white glaze. The flat bottom is clay with a cocoon-shaped seal of Insei’s. Interestingly, the inner box is marked “Insei” (仁清). Interestingly, the inner box is inscribed “Ninsei: Shugakuin ware water jar,” the front of the outer box lid is inscribed “Shugakuin ware Ninsei: Shimizu jar, sand gold bag,” and the back is inscribed “In the old imperial storehouse of Manjuin Palace, made by Ninsei at his tea house” and the writer is Mochizuki Keishinsai.
If we trust the inscription on the box, it is an interesting document as it tells us that it was made by Ninsei at Shugakuin’s Oniwa pottery, which was established in the 4th year of the Kanbun Era. However, since the bottom is stamped with the seal of Ninsei, we would like to wait for further research to determine whether or not Ninsei was allowed to stamp his seal on Oniwa-yaki pieces from Gosuio-in Temple.
