茶入筆記 vol.48 福岡美術館：唐物茶入銘「瓢箪」 - Fukuoka Museum, Karamono Chaire ‘Hyōtan’ Heirloom by Kuroda Family

SACA
Jun 23
3 min read

唐物茶入銘「瓢箪」 Brown gourd-shaped ceramic bottle with a light tan lid against a plain gray background. The surface has a glossy finish with dark speckles.

本件茶入為日本室町至桃山時期以來極受茶人珍視之「唐物」茶入之一，銘曰「瓢箪」，即「葫蘆」之意，源自其形制模仿自然葫蘆，呈上下略鼓之對稱曲線。小口瘦頸，圓腹穩定，具備盛茶實用與審美雙重功能。整體比例小巧端莊，胎體堅實，釉色均勻而有潤澤，顯示製陶技術之精良。

此器原為福岡藩主黑田家世代相傳之舊藏品，現藏於福岡市美術館，為研究日中間茶文化交流、特別是唐物器物在日本戰國至江戶初期之流傳史，提供寶貴實物資料。

唐物茶入銘「瓢箪」

銘「瓢箪」

時代／世紀：明代十六世紀

材質與技法：陶器

尺寸：高 6.1 公分；口徑 1.9 公分；胴徑 5.3 公分；底徑 2.5 公分

收藏來源：黑田家舊藏

館藏編號：4-Ha-8出

土地／製作地：中國

福岡藩自江戶時代初期設立以來，歷代藩主皆由外樣大名黑田氏擔任。黑田家之始祖為黑田如水（官兵衛），其子黑田長政因在慶長五年（1600年）關原之戰中擁護德川家康、戰功卓著，遂受封九州筑前國，建立福岡藩，成為首代藩主。黑田家自此統治福岡藩逾兩百七十年，直至明治維新之際，最後一任藩主為黑田長知。

黑田家歷代藩主除在政務上頗有建樹，亦極具文藝涵養，對茶道、書畫、古器物等文化領域有深厚興趣與收藏。是故，其所傳世之茶道具多為當時上乘之唐物，體現戰國武家大名階層對中國器物的品鑑趣味與文化接納。

Karamono Chaire ‘Hyōtan’ Heirloom by Kuroda Family

The Fukuoka Domain was governed throughout the Edo period by the Kuroda clan, one of the tozama (outside) daimyō families. The founding lord, Kuroda Nagamasa, was granted control of Chikuzen Province (modern-day Fukuoka) by Tokugawa Ieyasu as a reward for his decisive contributions at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. His appointment marked the beginning of Kuroda rule over Fukuoka, which continued for over 270 years until the abolition of the han system in the Meiji era. The final daimyō was Kuroda Nagahiro.

The Kuroda lords were not only influential political figures but also cultivated patrons of the arts. They maintained refined tastes in tea culture, calligraphy, and antiquities. The survival of Chinese tea utensils within the Kuroda collection reflects both their cultural sophistication and the broader phenomenon of karamono appreciation among the military aristocracy of early modern Japan.

Title: Chinese Tea Caddy (Chaire), Inscribed Hyōtan (“Gourd”)

Period / Century: Ming Dynasty, 16th Century

Material and Technique: Stoneware

Dimensions: Height 6.1 cm; Mouth diameter 1.9 cm; Body diameter 5.3 cm; Base diameter 2.5 cm

Collection: Kuroda Family Archive

Accession Number: 4-Ha-8

Place of Origin: China

This tea caddy is a representative example of karamono (Chinese-made) wares cherished by Japanese tea practitioners since the Muromachi and Momoyama periods. The piece bears the name Hyōtan, meaning “gourd,” which references its form inspired by the natural curves of a calabash. It features a slender mouth, narrow neck, and symmetrically rounded body—an elegant, compact profile suited for both functionality and refined aesthetic appreciation.

The stoneware body is robust and finely potted, with a smooth glaze that speaks to the high craftsmanship of Ming ceramics.

Once an heirloom of the Kuroda family, lords of Fukuoka Domain, the chaire is now preserved in the Fukuoka Art Museum. It offers vital material evidence for understanding the transmission and valorization of Chinese tea utensils in early Japanese chanoyu culture.