Dimensions
Height: 26.2 cm; Mouth diameter: 9.6 cm; Inner diameter: 4.5 cm; Body diameter: 12.5 cm; Base diameter: 10.0 cm; Weight: 1240 g
Featuring a mallet-shaped form with carp-shaped handles, the figures painted on both sides of the neck are likened to the old man and woman from the Noh play “Takasago,” leading tea masters to call it the “Takasago Flower Vase.”
It is clear from tea ceremony records that these works, known as “old Somenuki,” were introduced during the Enshū period.
Although the piece is said to have been made around the end of the Ming Dynasty, this is not definitively established. The name “Takasago” is auspicious, and the carp also conveys celebratory meaning, making it well-suited to Japanese tastes.
