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Bucket-shaped freshwater container
Bucket-shaped freshwater container

Bucket-shaped freshwater container

Artist (Japanese, b. 1938)
Date2009
PeriodHeisei period (1989-2019)
MaterialsStoneware with natural ash glaze; lacquered wood lid
DimensionsH. 8 3/8 in x W. 8 3/8 in x D. 7 1/2 in, H. 21.5 cm x W. 21.5 cm x D. 19.0 cm
Credit LineGift of Abe Anjin
Object number2009.22.a-.b
DepartmentJapanese Art
ClassificationsCeramics
On View
Not on view
More Information

This freshwater container (mizusashi) is used to replenish water in the kettle and rinse teabowls at the close of the gathering. Often the first utensil carried into the tearoom, this large vessel sets the tone for the host’s selection of utensils for a given occasion.

The ceramic artist Abe Anjin is known for both his contemporary sculptural works and his ability to recreate traditional Bizen ware. Bizen, in Okayama prefecture, is an ancient kiln site that has produced hard, dark reddish-brown stoneware since the Kamakura period (1185–1333).