Ōnatsume Tea Container with Design of Weeping Cherry and Paulownia and Tomoe Crests

Momoyama period, 16th century
Height, 8.6cm; mouth diameter, 8.6cm

The so-called wide-torso natsume tea container. Coated overall with black lacquer. Both the lid and body are decorated with a continuous split ground design. On one side of the split, a weeping cherry tree is drawn in Kodaiji makie technique, while the other side of the divide is covered with a thick nashiji ground and decora-ted with a scattered pattern of paulownia crests and circular tomoe crests of thinly applied takamakie. A dignified tea container which ably represents Momoyama characteristics. The interior is coated with black lacquer.

A wooden tablet accompanies the container and states in black ink that this is a "Saga makie" tea container formerly in the collection of Ma-tsunaga Jian. Matsunaga Yasuzaemon (1875-1971) was a noted member of the modern world of the tea ceremony. AH