Attributed to the 2nd year of the Tenbun Era (1533)
Height 34.6cm, Bore 12.8cm, Body 31.4cm, Bottom 15.7cm
Tokyo National Museum
This four-lobed jar with a rounded body and a rather long, upright neck is clearly a copy of a Lu-Song tea jar, and is different in genealogy from earlier tea jars. The triangular shape of the raised ears and the raised bottom follow the promise of the tea jars of the late Lu dynasty, which were known as “true jar tea jars with the bottom probably raised to the top” (Shin jar tea jar with the bottom raised to the top). Written on the underside is the following inscription
Inscribed on the underside of the bottom is the inscription “Ugetsu Yoshinichi Tenbun 20 Tenbun Jidai Lord Hikozaemon
The inscription on the back of the jar reads “Ugetsu Yoshi Hijicho Tenbun 20 Jidai Tenmyo Lord Hikosaemon. Trade between the Lu and Song dynasties flourished during the Bunroku and Keicho periods, and the influence of this trade was already evident during the Tenmon period, as the popularity of the tea ceremony gradually increased and the Lu and Song pots, which were prized as high-end tea pots, were sought by tea masters. It is not surprising that this type of tea jar appeared early in Bizen, which was at the forefront of Wabimono tea ceremony pottery.
The natural glaze of the color of decayed leaves covers from the neck of the mouth to the middle of the body, and has frayed to a grayish color. The lower half of the body is reddish-brown, and the vivid contrast of colors makes this jar richly varied.
