Teapot
Unknown Artist
ca. 1850
Medium
Pottery covered with a transparent glaze, enameled designs (Hizen ware, Kutani type)
Dimensions
H. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Accession Number
91.1.114
Art Historical Context
This elegant teapot, crafted around 1850 during Japan's Edo period (1615–8), exemplifies the refined ceramics produced in Hizen province, for its high-quality porcelain. Though attributed to an unknown artist, reflects the era's flourishing artisan workshops, where potters catered to a growing merchant class and tea enthusiasts. Standing just 5¼ inches tall, its compact form was ideal for intimate chanoyu tea ceremonies, a cornerstone of Japanese social and cultural life that emphasized harmony, respect, and aesthetic simplicity. The teapot's medium—pottery coated in a transparent glaze with ...