Tea Ceremony Water Jar
Item
Title
Tea Ceremony Water Jar
Creator
Rakusai TAKAHASHI III
Japanese, 1898–1976
Japanese, 1898–1976
Date
1967
Materials
Stoneware with lacquered lid in two parts
Measurements
3-1/2 x 12 in. (8.9 x 30.5 cm)
Description
This water jar combines two media with a long history in Japan: clay and lacquer. The lacquered lid on this water jar exemplifies the quintessentially Japanese aesthetic Jun'ichirō Tanizaki praised in his well-known essay In Praise of Shadows. He compared lacquerware’s gloss to the “depth and richness like that of a still, dark pond.” Writing in 1933, Tanizaki mourned the disappearance of this traditional aesthetic, contrasting it to the shiny white porcelain associated with western modernity. In the post-war era, potters like Takahashi were encouraged to return to traditional methods that resulted in matt, dark ceramics in keeping with the shadowy aesthetic Tanazaki promoted as Japanese. Both Naokata Ueda and Rakusai Takahashi were awarded the title of "prefectural treasure" in recognition of their work.
Source
Palmer Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania State University.
Identifier
86.338
Rights
This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted.