Kinkasan Tenmoku-style, Meibutsu
Accessories
Lids (2) Lid box Paulownia Unfinished wood Inscription by Matsudaira Fumai
Cover (3) Cover box Paulownia Unfinished wood Inscription by Matsudaira Fumai
One lathe-turned piece: Keyaki wood, Enshū style, Shunkei lacquer, eggplant shape, body, gold powder lettering, inscription by Hikiya Enshū
One lathe-turned cover: Checkered patterned cloth
Tsuishu lacquered flower-patterned pavilion and figures tray
Inner box: Paulownia wood, natural wood, inscription by Hikiya Enshū
Outer box: Paulownia wood, natural wood, inscription by Matsudaira Fumai
Provenance
Kobori Enshū ― Matsudaira Fumai
Recorded
Meibutsu-ki, Manpō Zenshū, Ōsaki-sama’s Tea Utensils Account Book, Matsudaira Fumai Den, Taishō Meiki Kan
Dimensions
Height: 5.7cm, Mouth Diameter: 2.7cm, Body Diameter: 5.2cm, Base Diameter: 2.5cm, Weight: 62g
This tea caddy, with its wabi-style tenmoku glaze, was likely admired by Matsudaira Fumai.
Enshū selected it as a rare piece of this type. Its unassuming, compact form, far from imposing, is precisely why this diminutive quality makes it a functional tea caddy suited for wabi-style tea gatherings.
Its shape, reminiscent of an eggplant, is elegant, and the glaze is applied with a light, witty touch, occasionally offering a delightful charm.
It comes with three shifuku (cover pouches). The selection of shifuku is fitting for the tea caddy, and the taste in them is also refined, incorporating pieces with repairs.
The pairing with a tray featuring carved figures and pavilions in tsuishu lacquer suggests a taste akin to that of a minor daimyo.
Inscription by Kobori Enshu
