染付竹林の七賢文水指|Water Jar (Mizusashi) with the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

Art Historical Context

This elegant water jar, or *mizusashi*, hails from Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), the second half of the18th century. Crafted as Hirado ware—a renowned porcelain from the Hirado domain in Nagasaki—it served as a practical yet refined utensil in the tea ceremony, holding fresh water for whisking matcha. The jar's surface features a cobalt-blue underglaze painting of the Seven Sages of Bamboo Grove, a celebrated Chinese literati theme depicting seven reclusive scholars amid swaying bamboo and lush leaves. This motif evokes ideals of harmony with nature, intellectual freedom, and escape from worldly cares, resonating deeply in Japanese tea culture. The artistic technique shines through the *sometsuke* (blue-and-white) style: cobalt pigment applied under a transparent glaze before high-temperature firing, yielding vibrant blues that seem to glow against the crisp white porcelain. A lacquer cover adds a tactile, luxurious finish, enhancing its ritual use. Measuring just 8 inches tall and 6¾ inches in diameter, its compact form belies its cultural weight—emblematic of Edo-era craftsmanship blending utility and poetry. Today, this gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from Mrs. V. Everit Macy in 1923 invites visitors to ponder the timeless allure of bamboo-shaded wisdom in everyday beauty.