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唐物茶壺 vol.03 弗利爾美術館:唐物茶壺「千種」,相阿弥、鳥居引拙、譽田屋德鄰、久留米有馬家、高倉久田家、德川家、藤田傳三郎、藤田家傳承 - Freer Gallery of Art,  Karamono Chabutsu ‘Chigusa’, Torii Inetsu, Kurume Arima, Tokugawa, Fujita Family


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唐物茶壺 千種:Chigusa A Storied Tea Jar

唐物茶壺「千種」

大名物

中國 南宋/元朝(13~14世紀)


成交價:美元 662,500

估價:美元 100,000 – 美元 150,000

(佳士得紐約2009年9月17日,由弗里爾美術館購入)



看見的力量:辨識、區分、界定。

擁有的力量:佔有、分享、傳承。

命名的力量:指派、定義、賦予意義。

展示的力量:呈現、裝飾、包覆。書寫的力量:描述、紀錄、銘記。


自古以來,日本的收藏家透過名為「茶之湯」(chanoyu)的正式茶席形式與器物產生互動。在茶室這個小巧而專注的空間裡,他們透過使用、審視與討論,從眾多器物中挑選出特別出眾的作品。他們為那些規模宏大、氣勢逼人的茶葉罐賦予獨特的名字,並以珍貴的織物裝飾之,從而使其更具尊崇地位。


正是這股「看見」與「命名」的強大過程,孕育出名為「千種」(Chigusa)的茶葉罐。它令一只進口自中國、原本具有實用功能的容器,搖身一變成為值得陳列、裝飾與品味的器物——雖然其原先的實用性依舊重要。值得一提的是,16世紀的茶人日記極為詳盡地記錄了人們觀賞千種時所讚歎的種種細節,讓我們能從這些茶人的視角重新審視此罐。


千種配有多個收納箱、織物與文獻,伴隨著易主過程逐漸積累而成。這些物質與意義的集結,共同造就了今日所見的千種。它也與其他珍貴之物同時出現——如中國禪僧的書法、中國與朝鮮的茶碗、日本的陶罐及木製器皿——共同構成這段日本茶文化的奠基時代裡,人們所使用與欣賞的多樣茶席用具組合。



呈卵形身,帶四耳,圓筒形頸部並捲口;通體施以斑駁的琥珀色釉,釉面止於距底部相當高處;配有木製塞子。


尺寸: 高16½英寸(約41.8公分)


底部銘文: 相阿弥 (Soami)、鳥居引拙(Torii Insetsu)、Ju Soho、譽田屋德鄰(Kondaya Tokurin)四枚花押(kao),另有一不明花押「Sho」。


配雙層木箱;附有千利休致譽田屋德鄰的書信(裝裱成手卷,見插圖)、一條以金錦(Tomita kinran)製成的罐口覆布(kuchioi)、一塊以緞地段子(Shibata donsu)製成的罐底襯布(sokojikiginu)、表千家高倉久田家(第10代當主)久田宗悦(Hisada Soetsu,1856-1895)於1888年所書信札、箱子的鎖與鑰匙並附有久田家木牌,以及藤田家訂製的陳設用組繩兩條。


來源(PROVENANCE)

  • 鳥居引拙(Torii Insetsu,1448-1517),堺

  • Ju Soho,堺,約1573年

  • 譽田屋德鄰(Kondaya Tokurin),堺,約1583-1587年

  • 有馬頼旨(Arima Yorimune,1685-1706),久留米

  • 有馬則維(Arima Norifusa,1674-1738),久留米

  • 德川綱吉(Tokugawa Tsunayoshi,1646-1709),江戶(「柳營御物」,Ryuei gomotsu),於寶永三年(1706年)6月1日由上述人物奉贈

  • 高倉久田家(Hisada family),表千家流,京都,1888年以前

  • 藤田傳三郎男爵(Baron Fujita Denzaburo,1841-1912),大阪

  • 藤田家(Fujita Family),大阪,於1929年5月10日拍賣出售

  • 私人收藏,東京


文獻(LITERATURE)

  • 今井宗久(Imai Sokyu,1520-1593),〈譽田屋德鄰會(Kondaya Tokurin kai)〉,載於《今井宗久茶之湯覺書摘(Imai Sokyu chanoyu kakinuki)》,天正三年(1575)正月二十七日。

  • 山上宗二(Yamanoue no Soji,1544-1590),《山上宗二記(Yamanoue no Soji ki)》,約1589年。

  • 松屋久重(Matsuya Hisayoshi,卒於1633),〈譽田屋德鄰會(Kondaya Tokurin kai)〉,載於《久重茶會記(Hisayoshi chakaiki)》,天正十四年(1586)四月二十五日。

  • 神屋宗湛(Kamiya Sotan,1551-1635),〈譽田屋德鄰會(Kondaya Tokurin kai)〉,載於《宗湛日記(Sotan nikki)》,天正十五年(1587)正月初六日。

  • 《寛政重修諸家譜(Kansei choshu shokefu)》,卷469(1812年)。

  • 《柳營御道具寄帳(Ryuei ondogu yosecho)》(德川幕府茶道具收藏目錄),1817年。

  • 《上覺院殿御實紀(Joken'in dono onjikki)》(即德川綱吉公紀),寶永三年(1706)六月初一日。

  • 楠瀨皋(Kusunose Ko)編,《宗湛日記(Sotan nikki)》,載於《隨筆文學全集(Zuihitsu bungaku zenshu)》第11卷(東京:書齋社,1927年),第32頁。

  • 《藤田男爵家藏品入札目錄(Fujita danshakuke zohin nyusatsu mokuroku)》(1929年5月10日),圖版166。

  • 高木文(Takagi Fumi)編,《補訂 柳營御物集(Hotei Ryuei gomotsushu)》(出版社不詳,1933年),第48頁。

  • 桑田忠親(Kuwata Tadachika),《宗湛日記:神屋宗湛之茶生活(Sotan nikki: Kamiya Sotan no chaseikatsu)》(京都:古塔書院,1947年),第28頁。

  • 桑田忠親(Kuwata Tadachika),〈山上宗二記(Yamanoue no Soji ki)〉,收入千宗室等編《茶道古典全集(Sado koten zenshu)》第6卷(京都:淡交社,1960年),第60頁。

  • 芳賀幸四郎(Haga Koshiro),〈宗湛日記(Sotan nikki)〉,收入千宗室等編《茶道古典全集(Sado koten zenshu)》第6卷(京都:淡交社,1960年),第167頁。

  • 黑板勝美(Kurosaka Katsumi)與《國史大系編修會(Kokushi taikei henshukai)》編,《德川實紀 大六編(Tokugawa jikki dairoppen)》,收於《國史大系(Kokushi taikei)》第43卷(東京:吉川弘文館,1965年),第621頁。

  • 桑田忠親(Kuwata Tadachika),《千利休之書簡(Sen no Rikyu no shokan)》(東京:東京堂出版,1971年),編號109,第261-262頁。

  • 小田榮作(Oda Eisaku)編,〈柳營道具帳(Ryuei dogucho)〉,收入《茶道古美術藏著刺繡四聖上卷(Sado kobijutsu zocho shisei jokan)》(東京:圖書刊行會,1977年),第75頁。

  • 德川慶喜(Tokugawa Yoshinobu),《茶壺(Chatsubo)》(京都:淡交社,1982年),本篇第144、240-241頁,參考圖第284、289、361頁。

  • 京都國立博物館編,《特別展覽會──四百年忌:千利休展(Tokubetsu tenrankai--Yonhyakunen ki: Sen no Rikyu ten / Special Exhibition--Sen no Rikyu: The 400th Memorial)》(京都:京都國立博物館,1990年),圖版77。

  • 竹內順一(Takeuchi Jun'ichi),〈〈山上宗二記〉記載的茶道具(Yamanoue no Soji ki kisai no chadogu)〉,收於茶之湯懇話會(Chanoyu konwakai)編《山上宗二研究 1(Yamanoue no Soji kenkyu 1)》(東京:三德庵,1993年),第65頁,圖3;第71、106頁。

  • 五島美術館編,《開館三十五週年紀念特別展──〈山上宗二記〉:天正十四年的「名」(Kaikan sanjugoshunen kinen tokubetsuten-- Yamanoue no Soji ki: Tensho juyonnen no me / Yamanoue Soji's Notes (On the Proper use of Fine Tea Utensils))》(東京:五島美術館,1995年),圖版5、5-2,第17頁。

  • 林屋辰三郎(Hayashiya Tatsusaburo)等編,《角川茶道大辭典 普及版(Kadokawa sado daijiten fukyuban)》(東京:角川書店,2002年),第861頁。

  • 熊倉功夫(Kumakura Isao)監修,《山上宗二記(Yamanoue no Soji ki)》,岩波文庫33-051-1(東京:岩波書店,2006年),第27頁。


展覽(EXHIBITED)

  • 京都國立博物館,「特別展覽會 四百年忌──千利休展(Tokubetsu tenrankai yonhyakunen ki--Sen no Rikyu ten / Special Exhibition--Sen no Rikyu: the 400th Memorial)」,1990年3月27日至5月6日。

  • 五島美術館(東京)「開館三十五週年紀念特別展──〈山上宗二記〉:天正十四年的『名』」(Kaikan sanjugoshunen kinen tokubetsuten-- Yamanoue no Soji ki: Tensho juyonnen no me / Yamanoue Soji's Notes (On the proper use of fine tea utensils)),1995年10月28日至11月26日。



千種的歷史


一件被視為日本茶文化象徵、看似樸素卻享有崇高聲譽的茶葉罐,如今已由史密森學會旗下的弗里爾美術館(Freer Gallery of Art)收藏。該罐於9月17日,在紐約佳士得(Christie’s)拍賣會上被弗里爾美術館投得。此罐於13或14世紀的中國南宋或元朝時期製成,原先作為商用容器運往日本,隨後在15至20世紀間,由眾多極具影響力的茶道鑑賞家、藏家與統治者用以盛裝珍貴茶葉,並陳設於他們的茶室中,最終形成了顯赫的傳承譜系。


「這只外表古樸的茶罐,在過去五百年間一直深受日本茶人推崇和珍視,」弗里爾-賽克勒美術館副館長詹姆斯·烏拉克(James Ulak)表示。「根據相關文獻記載,它的表面曾被自15世紀以來日本文化史上的一眾重要人物所欣賞、觸摸。要在拍賣市場上見到這樣一件擁有深厚故事背景的器物,實屬極為罕見。」



這只茶罐高41.8公分,通體帶有斑駁的琥珀色釉,四個耳朵、圓筒形頸部以及捲口。它的名字「千種」(Chigusa)在日語中可用不同漢字書寫,含義或為「種類豐富」,或為「繁茂草木」。這個帶有詩意的命名,反映了16世紀日本茶文化對中國器物的高度重視:這些珍貴器物往往透過命名與特製裝飾被賦予象徵意義。此名稱在後世研究中也起到了關鍵作用,因為它使得茶道文獻與日記中所記錄的「千種」之出現得以對應到這只茶罐。1586年,一位親眼目睹「千種」的在席者,不僅稱讚它的巨大體量和偏紅色的胎土,更將其評為「大名物」,意即「著名且珍貴的茶道器物」。


此罐之所以價值非凡,極大程度上來自於它所附帶的豐富文書與實物配件,包括題識、書信、儀式裝飾與收納箱。這些物證跨越數個世紀,完整展現了「千種」輾轉易手的歷史脈絡與政治權力的牽連。擁有同等級別傳承文獻的茶葉罐,在日本也僅存數百件,其他地區則更為罕見。


「若沒有這些文獻及附屬品,這只茶罐或許只是件相當樸素的器物,但整個組合合而為一,就成了一份令人驚艷的審美宣言,」弗里爾美術館陶瓷策展人路易絲·柯特(Louise Cort)說道。「這件藏品能極大地豐富弗里爾館內與『茶之湯』(chanoyu)相關的收藏。它像是個核心樞紐,讓我們能以它為起點,建構出多條敘事脈絡,探討當一件物品跨越文化邊界時,其意義如何產生變化。」



此罐底部以漆書寫了四個花押(個人標識)。最早的一個歸於相阿彌(Soami,1397-1471),他是一位繪師,同時也是足利將軍家的專屬鑑賞家。這暗示了目前文獻中未曾記載的可能性:此罐曾在足利政權核心人物之間流通。第二個花押則屬於鳥居引拙(Torii Insetsu,1448-1517),他是活躍於國際貿易都市堺的茶道鑑賞家與藏家,以改革性茶事而知名。接下來留下花押的是另一位堺的茶道愛好者——(Ju Soho);他於1573年的新年茶會中招待了知名茶人千利休(Sen no Rikyu,1522-1591),而包括今井宗久(Imai Sokyu,1520-1593)在內的嘉賓也參與其盛。今井在會中初次見到「大茶壺 千種」,並記下它曾屬於引拙所有。數年後,今井宗久再次記述自己於堺商人與市政官譽田屋德鄰(Kondaya Tokurin)處再次見到「千種」——此時德鄰已在罐底留下了自己的花押。另外,罐底還有一個「祥」字(sho),其確切來源尚未釐清。


此外,史料亦顯示「千種」曾在多個歷史時刻成為日本政治權力核心交流的一部分。除了先前提及的足利幕府(1336-1573),這只茶壺還見證了德川幕府(1603-1867)與各政治勢力相互贈禮與結盟的過程。1706年,久留米藩的藩主將這只茶罐與一把名劍共同獻給第五代將軍德川綱吉(1646-1709),並說明兩件寶物原為其亡父所有,藉此表達其家族對幕府的持續忠誠。此後,該罐持續歸幕府所有,直到1868年幕府解體,其後進入日本新興的藝術品市場。


19世紀中葉至20世紀初,「千種」典型地體現了日本新興產業家族對茶器的現代收藏風潮。20世紀整個時期,它一直為日本私人藏家所持有,並於1990及1995年兩度在日本舉辦的重大茶文化展覽中公開展示——直到此次從日本遠赴紐約拍賣,才再次離開其長久以來的第二故鄉。


普林斯頓大學日本藝術史專家安德魯·瓦茨基(Andrew Watsky)對弗里爾美術館的收藏表示祝賀:「『千種』配有豐富的文獻、木箱、絲織物與權威可考的傳承,以及它本身的審美特質,構成了在美國其他收藏中都難以見到的日本藝術綜合體。它跨越了漫長旅程,最初起源於中國,接著在日本被許多人珍賞了數百年。能有幸入藏弗里爾美術館,成為該館已建立多年的茶器收藏之一,並使全球訪客能夠在展廳觀賞,也讓學者能在絕佳條件下深入研究——這真是個絕佳的發展。我由衷讚譽弗里爾美術館的這項重要收購,也期待在未來能多次前往欣賞『千種』。」


此罐將加入弗里爾美術館既有的前近代日本陶瓷收藏。弗里爾美術館與亞瑟·M·賽克勒美術館(Arthur M. Sackler Gallery)共同構成了史密森學會的亞洲藝術收藏。



16世紀文獻中的「千種」


1. 《唐物總數記》(Karamono [Karamono oyoso no kazu]),約 1570–73¹

記錄於「Jū no Sōho所有的器物」條目中。

Chikusa, the ōtsubo千(ち)草(くさ)ノ(の)大(おお)ツボ


2. 天王寺屋宗休(Tennōjiya Sōgyū)於元龜 4 年(1573)正月二十四日,記載於其客參茶會日記《宗休他會記》(Sōgyū takaiki)²

主人:Jū no Sōho;客人:宗易(千利休, Sen no Rikyu)、草部屋道雪(Kusabeya Dōsetsu)及天王寺屋宗休(Tennōjiya Sōgyū)。

同年正月二十四日,晨Ju no Soho   易、雪、休[地爐(sunken hearth)上] 放置三田(Mitsuda)淨仲(Jōshū)所製之被褥形釣釜(futon-shaped suspended kettle);置手桶(teoke)和建盞天目(kensantenmoku)茶碗。有一只大壺(ōtsubo),乃初次得見。千種(Chigusa),乃引拙(Insetsu)之壺。自引拙之時起,尚留有[罐口]覆布(cover)與繫帶(tsugari)。³


3. 天王寺屋宗休於天正 6 年(1578)十二月九日,記載於其客參茶會日記《宗休他會記》(Sōgyū takaiki)⁴

主人:Jo no Soho;客人:天王寺屋道室(Tennōjiya Dōshitsu)、草部屋道雪、天王寺屋宗休。

同年十二月九日Ju no Soho   室、雪、休項目:[地爐(sunken hearth)上]懸掛前藏弘州(Zenkō)所製釣釜。中場小憩時,使用信樂(Shigaraki)[水指]。茶畢後,取出茶壺「千種」(Chigusa),之後將它置於壁龕(alcove)中。項目:以「ただ天目」(tada tenmoku)茶碗置於黑漆葉形緣台(黑漆 stand with a foliate rim)上。備前(Bizen)之建水(waste-water vessel)。


4. 天王寺屋宗休於天正 9 年(1581)正月二十二日,記載於其客參茶會日記《宗休他會記》(Sōgyū takaiki)⁵

主人:Jo no Soho;客人:錢屋宗訥(Zeniya Sōtotsu)、天王寺屋宗休。

同年正月二十二日,晨 Jo no Soho   宗突、宗休項目:壁龕掛「達摩」(Daruma)圖,乃引拙(Insetsu)之作。項目:[地爐] 上懸掛鐵鍊釣釜。其後方放置手桶與備前建水。項目:以「ただ天目」茶碗置於葉形緣漆台上。茶畢後,取出大壺觀賞,隨後將其放回壁龕。上述「達摩」(Bodhidharma)畫作,或為絹本,出自「Jikifu」(日文 Ko Chokufu;中文作胡仔父,13 世紀)之筆;題識者為「Eseigan」(即「Seigan Ryōe」,中文作西巖了慧,1198–1262)。裝裱:上、下緣為淡綠色金紗(light green-ground kinsha),旁邊(borders)為白地金紗(white-ground kinsha),內緣及「風帶」(decorative hanging strips)為小型暗藍地白紋錦。


5. 天王寺屋宗休於天正 10⁶ 年(1582)十月七日,記載於其客參茶會日記《宗休他會記》(Sōgyū takaiki)⁷

主人:譽田屋德鄰(Kondaya Tokurin);客人:天王寺屋道室、銭屋宗突、天王寺屋宗休。

同年十月七日,晨譽田屋德鄰   道室、宗突、宗休項目:壁龕自始即置「茶壺 千種(Chigusa)」,稍後取下予以檢視,最後由道室將其重新安置回壁龕。


6. 今井宗久(Imai Sōkyū)於天正 11⁸ 年(1583)正月二十七日,記載於其茶會日記《今井宗久茶之湯日記 脫書》(Imai Sōkyū chanoyu nikki nukigaki)⁹


主人:譽田屋德鄰;客人:今井宗久、天王寺屋道室、銭屋宗突。

天正 11 年正月二十七日譽田屋德鄰   宗久、道室、宗突項目:地爐(sunken hearth),置一口古釜,以鐵鍊懸掛。項目:壁龕(alcove)掛「杞堂」(Kidō,中文作虛堂智愚,1185–1269)之墨跡(bokuseki)。最初即懸掛,待中場小憩時收起。項目:壁龕擺放「茶壺 千種(Chigusa)」,用網袋(net bag)盛之。並置一只「吊桶」(tsurube)、一只盛放茶道具(dōgu)的天目茶碗、及中棗(nakatsugi)、另有由引拙舊藏之「面つ」(mentsu)。項目:墨跡尺寸高一尺一寸一分,寬二尺五寸。裝裱:上、下緣為苔色(橄欖褐色,kobicha)法顯(hoken),旁邊為白地金錦(gold brocade),內緣與風帶為淡綠地銀錦(silver brocade with light-green ground)配紫色垂飾。項目:此「壺 千種(Chigusa)」,罐底有若干「瘤」(kobu),並刻有「祥」(shō)字,另有四枚花押(ciphers)。罐口覆布為丹色(紅色)地金錦(red-colored [-ground] gold brocade),其繩索為淡藍色。


7. 松屋久重(Matsuya Hisayoshi)於天正 14 年(1586)四月二十五日,記載於其茶會日記《松屋會記》(Matsuya kaiki)¹⁰

主人:譽田屋德鄰;客人:松江(Matsue)隆仙(Ryūsen)與松屋久重。

四月二十五日前往堺,譽田屋德鄰處,時刻不明     松江隆仙、久重 二人茶室(座敷)為二帖半。千種(Chigusa)大壺:自始即陳列。據說壺蓋之內側有能阿彌(Nōa[mi])筆跡之壺名。以淺藍色網袋盛之。罐口覆布為紅(こう)地金錦,其繩索(torio)為淡茶色(usukicha),二者皆為舊物。據傳此二物乃引拙(Insetsu)時期所製,尤以覆布最為非凡。該壺容量約可容五至六斤(kin)茶。口沿處有幾道線條,腰部無「遠山」(tōyama)般的紋線;通體單色釉呈「鵪鶉斑」(uzurame),無火口(hoguchi),但釉面有一處重疊(uchiai)。胎土呈紅色,相當驚豔,誠屬「名物」(meibutsu)。另有灰櫃形中蓋天目(haikatsugi tenmoku)茶碗,無台座;「野郎」(yarō);「面つ」(mentsu);「吊桶」(tsurube);另有一個陶製蓋置(tsuchi hikikiri)。[以下為飲食部分的紀錄略。]


8. 神屋宗湛(Kamiya Sōtan)於天正 15 年(1587)正月初六,記載於其茶會日記《宗湛日記》(Sōtan nikki)¹¹

主人:譽田屋德鄰;唯一賓客:神屋宗湛。

六日,晨德鄰茶會   宗湛 一人四帖半。壁龕(alcove)自始即掛一幅墨跡(bokuseki)。於一尺四寸方形之地爐(sunken hearth)上,懸掛竿與鉤,置一只古釜(釣釜)。擺放一只吊桶(tsurube),在一只天目(tenmoku)茶碗中收納茶道具;另有中棗(nakatsugi)、面つ(mentsu)、釜環形蓋置(gotoku)。中場小憩時收起墨跡,將「壺 千種(Chigusa)」移至壁龕。其覆布(cover)為丹色地(tanshoku)小紋金錦(old gold brocade),繩索則為淡藍色,打結方式為舊式結法,垂墜於外。項目:薄茶(usucha)時,使用一只高麗(Kōrai)茶碗。項目:墨跡尺寸約高一尺一寸,寬約二尺四五寸,共十二行,計七十五字。開頭二行二字,然後縮排並書五個小字,正文第八行四字。上、下緣為苔色(kobicha)法顯(hokken),旁邊(borders)為白地金錦(圖案為鐵線蓮花),內緣與風帶為淡綠色配紫色垂飾。軸端微喇叭形(木瓜材 quince)。留白較寬,無印章。[文中示意書法格式簡圖]「壺 千種(Chigusa)」,胎土粗糙且呈紅色,下部外鼓,底部有「瘤」(kobu),另有四枚花押,其上並刻一「祥」(shō)字。釉面厚重,並有多條向下流淌(nadare)之痕,以下部位釉面似有分層。頸部自兩耳(chi, lugs)間(及其上方)有三處細紋,其中有一處在耳間不甚明顯。覆布(cover)為紅地舊金錦(red-colored [-ground] gold brocade),裡面為淡藍色。

9. 《山上宗二記》(Yamanoue no Sōji ki),1588¹²


Chigusa 千種     於堺 譽田屋德鄰處。此壺原屬引拙(Insetsu)。


註釋(對應原文標號)

  1. 指《Karamono oyoso no kazu》之編撰年份。

  2. 《宗休他會記》(Sōgyū takaiki)為天王寺屋宗休所記錄之茶會日記。

  3. 「cover 和 tsugari」指的是壺口覆布與繫繩。

  4. 同上,年份為天正 6 年(1578)。

  5. 同上,年份為天正 9 年(1581)。

  6. 原文以「天正 10⁶」,此處之上標 6 為版本內注釋標號。

  7. 同上,年份為天正 10 年(1582)。

  8. 原文以「天正 11⁸」,此處之上標 8 為版本內注釋標號。

  9. 《今井宗久茶之湯日記 脫書》(Imai Sōkyū chanoyu nikki nukigaki),記於 1583 年正月二十七日。

  10. 《松屋會記》(Matsuya kaiki),松屋久重之茶會紀錄。

  11. 《宗湛日記》(Sōtan nikki),神屋宗湛之茶會日記。

  12. 《山上宗二記》(Yamanoue no Sōji ki),成書約 1588 年。



Tea-Leaf Storage Jar named Chigusa

An "O-Meibutsu" Stoneware

China, Southern Song/Yuan Dynasty (13th-14th century)


Of ovoid form with four lugs, cylindrical neck and rolled lip, applied with a mottled amber glaze ending well above the base; fitted with wood stopper


16½in. (41.8cm.)


Inscribed on base: with kao (cursive monograms) by Soami, Torii Insetsu, Ju Soho, Kondaya Tokurin and with unknown kao, Sho

With double wooden storage boxes, an accompanying letter from Sen no Rikyu to Kondaya Tokurin (mounted as a handscroll; see illustration), a silk mouth cover (kuchioi) of gold brocade (Tomita kinran), a silk footcloth (sokojikiginu) of satin damask (Shibata donsu), a letter by Hisada Soetsu (10th generation of the Takakura Hisada family of the Omote Senke tea school; 1856-1895) dated 1888, lock and key of a storage box with wood plaque of the Hisada family, display cords ordered by Fujita family (2)



WASHINGTON, DC.- A humble jar widely revered as an icon of Japanese tea culture has been acquired by the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art. The jar was purchased at an auction held by Christie's in New York City Sept. 17. The jar, made in China during the late Southern Song or Yuan dynasty (13th or 14th century) and shipped to Japan as a container for a commercial product, developed a distinguished pedigree in the hands of influential tea connoisseurs, collectors and rulers who used it for storing precious tea and displayed it in their tearooms between the 15th and 20th centuries. "This handsome jar has been admired and sought after by Japanese tea masters for half a millennium," said James Ulak, deputy director of the Freer and Arthur M. Sackler galleries. "As the documentation shows, its surface has been admired and caressed by a who's who of Japan's cultural giants from the 15th century forward. It is extremely rare to find such a storied work on the market." Standing 41.8 centimeters tall with a mottled amber glaze, four lugs, a cylindrical neck and a rolled lip, the jar carries the name "Chigusa," which translates to-depending on which Japanese characters are used-"abundance of varieties" or "abundance of plants." The poetic name is an indication of the jar's high status in 16th-century Japanese tea culture, in which valued Chinese objects were often imbued with elaborate significance through practices such as naming and adorning them with special accoutrements. The name has been useful to scholars in tracking the jar through the diaries and records of tea connoisseurs and collectors who observed it in use at various tea functions. One eyewitness, who saw the jar named Chigusa at a gathering in 1586, admired its large size and the reddish color of the clay and noted that it was a "meibutsu," meaning "celebrated tea object." A great deal of the jar's value derives from the remarkable accruement of documentation and artifacts that accompany it, including inscriptions, letters, ceremonial accessories and storage boxes that narrate a fascinating history of ownership and association with power over the centuries. Only a few hundred such jars with comparable documentation survive in Japan, and very few exist elsewhere. "Stripped of its documentation, it would be a very modest jar, but the total package makes it an amazing aesthetic statement," said Louise Cort, curator of ceramics. "This jar profoundly enhances the Freer's collection of objects related to 'chanoyu' (the tea ceremony). It constitutes a pivotal point around which many threads of narrative might be constructed, enabling scholars to explore how an object's meaning can change as it crosses cultural boundaries." The jar bears four ciphers written in lacquer on its base. The oldest is attributed to Noami (1397-1471), a painter and professional connoisseur for the Ashikaga shogun. This suggests the possibility, otherwise unrecorded, that the jar circulated among owners close to the Ashikaga government. The next oldest cipher is that of Torii Insetsu (1448-1517) an important tea connoisseur and collector in the international trading city of Sakai, known for innovative tea activity. The next owner to inscribe his cipher was another Sakai tea enthusiast, Ju Soho, who hosted a tea in the new year of 1573 for guests, including the esteemed tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522-91). Another guest in attendance, Imai Sokyu (1520-93), described seeing the "large jar...Chigusa" for the first time and noted that it had been Insetsu's jar. Several years later Sokyu recorded that he had seen the jar again, displayed by a new owner, merchant and city official Kondaya Tokurin, who by then had added his cipher. The base of the jar contains one additional mark, the character "sho," meaning auspicious. The association of this mark has not yet been determined. Other records place the jar at the center of Japanese political power at various points in its history. In addition to its earlier affiliation with the Ashikaga shogunate (1336-1573), the jar was employed in a series of gift exchanges aimed at establishing and maintaining alliances between the Tokugawa shoguns (1603-1867) and their political rivals. In 1706, the daimyo of the Kurume domain presented the jar to the fifth shogun, Tsunayoshi (1646-1709), together with a named sword, both from the possessions of his deceased father, as a pledge of his family's continued loyalty. Thereafter it belonged to the Tokugawa government until its dissolution in 1868, when the jar entered the new art market in Japan. From the mid-1800s through the early 20th century, it exemplified the modern tea-related collecting of prominent industrial families. The jar remained in private hands in Japan throughout the 20th century and was exhibited in major Japanese exhibitions related to tea culture in 1990 and 1995, leaving its adopted homeland only to come to the recent auction in New York. Noted Japanese art historian Andrew Watsky of Princeton University congratulated the galleries on the acquisition. "With its trove of accompanying documents, boxes, silks and provenance, and its aesthetic qualities, Chigusa is an ensemble of Japanese art practices unlike any other in an American collection. It has traced a long journey, beginning in China and then to Japan, where many admired it for centuries. It is a great stroke of good fortune that Chigusa's new home is the Freer: there it will join a long-standing collection of tea objects; visitors from around the world will see it in the galleries, and scholars will be able to study it under ideal conditions. I applaud the Freer for this important acquisition, and I look forward to many visits there to see Chigusa." The jar will be added to the collection of pre-modern Japanese ceramics in the Freer Gallery, which, together with the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, constitute the Smithsonian's Asian art collections. Plans for public display will be announced in 2010.



PROVENANCE

Torii Insetsu (1448-1517), Sakai 鳥居引拙

Ju Soho, Sakai, ca. 1573

Kondaya Tokurin, Sakai, ca. 1583-87 譽田屋德鄰,堺市

Arima Yorimune (1685-1706), Kurume 有馬頼旨

Arima Norifusa (1674-1738), Kurume 有馬則維

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646-1709), Edo (Ryuei gomotsu), gift of the above on 1706.6.1 徳川綱吉

Hisada family, Omote Senke school, Kyoto, before 1888 久田家

Baron Fujita Denzaburo (1841-1912), Osaka 藤田傳三郎

Fujita Family, Osaka, sold at auction on 1929.5.10 藤田家

Private collection, Tokyo


LITERATURE

Imai Sokyu (1520-1593), Kondaya Tokurin kai (Tea gathering at Kondaya Tokurin's residence), from Imai Sokyu chanoyu kakinuki (A record of tea gatherings of Imai Sokyu), 27th day, first month, Tensho 3 (1575).


Yamanoue no Soji (1544-1590), Yamanoue no Soji ki (Notes of Yamanoue Soji), ca. 1589.


Matsuya Hisayoshi (d. 1633), Kondaya Tokurin kai (Tea gathering at Kondaya Tokurin's residence), from Hisayoshi chakaiki (Record of tea gatherings of Hisayoshi), 25th day, fourth month, Tensho 14 (1586).


Kamiya Sotan (1551-1635), Kondaya Tokurin kai (Tea gathering at Kondaya Tokurin's residence), from Sotan nikki (Diary of tea gatherings of Sotan), 6th day, first month, Tensho 15 (1587).


Kansei choshu shokefu (Public record of families in the Kansei era [1789-1801]), vol. 469 (1812).


Ryuei ondogu yosecho (Catalogue of tea utensils in the collection of the Tokugawa shogunate), 1817.


Joken'in dono onjikki [Public record of Joken'in (Tokugawa Tsunayoshi)], first day, sixth month, 1706.


Kusunose Ko, ed., Sotan nikki (Diary of Sotan), vol. 11 of Zuihitsu bungaku zenshu (Collected miscellanies and literary writings) (Tokyo: Shosaisha, 1927), p. 32.


Fujita danshakuke zohin nyusatsu mokuroku (auction catalogue of collection of Baron Fujita) (1929.5.10), pl. 166.


Takagi Fumi, ed., Hotei Ryuei gomotsushu (Revised version of list of the collection of Tokugawa shogunate) (publisher unknown, 1933), p. 48.

Kuwata Tadachika, Sotan nikki: Kamiya Sotan no chaseikatsu (Diary of tea gatherings of Sotan: Kamiya Sotan's tea life) (Kyoto: Koto shoin, 1947), p. 28.


Kuwata Tadachika, Yamanoue no Soji ki, in Sado koten zenshu (Collection of classical references about tea practice) vol. 6, ed. Sen Soshitsu et al. (Kyoto: Tankosha, 1960), p. 60.


Haga Koshiro, Sotan nikki, in Sado koten zenshu (Collection of classical references about tea practice) vol. 6, ed. Sen Soshitsu et al. (Kyoto: Tankosha, 1960), p. 167.


Kurosaka Katsumi and Kokushi taikei henshukai, eds., Tokugawa jikki dairoppen (vol. 6 of public record of the Tokugawa shogunate), vol. 43 of Kokushi taikei (Collection of national historical documents) (Tokyo: Yoshikawa kobunkan, 1965), p. 621.


Kuwata Tadachika, Sen no Rikyu no shokan (Letters of Sen no Rikyu) (Tokyo: Tokyodo shuppan, 1971), no. 109, pp. 261-62.


Oda Eisaku, ed., Ryuei dogucho (List of the collection of the Tokugawa shogunate), in Sado kobijutsu zocho shisei jokan (Collection of antique art for tea practice from famous collections) (Tokyo: Tosho kankokai, 1977), p. 75.


Tokugawa Yoshinobu, Chatsubo (Tea jars) (Kyoto: Tankosha, 1982), pp. 144, 240-41 (main volume), pp. 284, 289 and 361 (Study-reference volume).


Kyoto National Museum, ed., Tokubetsu tenrankai--Yonhyakunen ki: Sen no Rikyu ten/Special Exhibition--Sen no Rikyu: The 400th Memorial (Kyoto: Kyoto National Museum, 1990), pl. 77.


Takeuchi Jun'ichi, Yamanoue no Soji ki kisai no chadogu (Tea utensils appearing in Yamanoue Soji's note), in Chanoyu konwakai, ed., Yamanoue no Soji kenkyu 1 (Study of Yamanoue Soji's notes) (Tokyo: Santokuan, 1993),p. 65, pl. 3; pp. 71, 106.


The Gotoh Museum, ed., Kaikan sanjugoshunen kinen tokubetsuten-- Yamanoue no Soji ki: Tensho juyonnen no me/Yamanoue Soji's Notes (On the Proper use of Fine Tea Utensils) (Tokyo: The Gotoh Museum, 1995), pl. 5, 5-2, p. 17.


Hayashiya Tatsusaburo et al., eds., Kadokawa sado daijiten fukyuban (Kadokawa encyclopedia of tea practice, popular edition) (Tokyo: Kadokawa shoten, 2002), p. 861.


Kumakura Isao, supervising ed., Yamanoue no Soji ki, Iwanami bunko 33-051-1 (Tokyo: Iwanami shoten, 2006), p. 27.

EXHIBITED


Kyoto National Museum, "Tokubetsu tenrankai yonhyakunen ki--Sen no Rikyu ten/Special Exhibition--Sen no Rikyu: the 400th Memorial," 1990.3.27--5.6


The Gotoh Museum, Tokyo, "Kaikan sanjugoshunen kinen tokubetsuten-- Yamanoue no Soji ki: Tensho juyonnen no me/Yamanoue Soji's Notes (On the proper use of fine tea utensils)," 1995.10.28--11.26


Chigusa Glossary


ami: net bag (made for a tea-leaf storage jar)


bokuseki: calligraphies by Chan/Zen monks


cha:tea


chaire: small ceramic jar for powdered tea


chakaiki: tea diary


chanoyu: Japanese practice centered on drinking powdered green tea and appreciating the objects used therein


chanoyu nikki: tea diary


chatsubo: tea-leaf storage jar


chawan: tea bowl


chio: lug cords (made for a tea-leaf storage jar)


dōbōshū: curatorial advisor


fukuro: pouch for a tea utensil, especially a container for powdered tea


fukuroshi: pouch maker, a specialized artisan associated with chanoyu


gyō: semiformal style; term employed in calligraphy and applied to levels of formality in chanoyu-related practices; see shin


haikenki: viewing records


haikatsugi tenmoku: type of tenmoku tea bowl made at the Chayang kilns in Fujian Province; haikatsugimeans “ash covered,” which refers to the color and texture of the glaze


hoguchi marks: the brightening in the glaze color caused by flames hitting the shoulder during firing; term of tea jar connoisseurship


kaō: cipher


karamono: object imported from China


kin: unit of measurement, approximately 600 grams


kiseikō: “yellow seikō,” type of tea jar named for its glaze color; see qingxiang


koicha: thick tea; see usucha.


koro: term of tea jar connoisseurship that means size


kuchikiri or kuchikiri chaji: formal occasion for opening the sealed jar and serving the new tea


kuchioi: mouth cover (made for a tea-leaf storage jar)


kuchio: cord for securing mouth cover


matcha: powdered green tea, prepared for drinking by whisking with hot water in a tea bowl


matsubo: “true jar”; term that distinguishes Chinese tea jars from Japanese products


meibutsu: “celebrated object”


meibutsugire: “celebrated textiles” imported from China


meibutsuki: “records of celebrated objects”


mon: unit of currency


Mushanokōji Senke: one of three Sen family lineages of chanoyu


nadare: drips or flows of glaze; term of tea jar connoisseurship


nagao: long cord (made for a tea-leaf storage jar)


nanban: term describing the origins of an object made in Southeast Asia and imported into Japan


nari: term of tea jar connoisseurship that means shape


ōmeibutsu: “great meibutsu”; refers specifically to an object singled out by the mid-sixteenth century


Omotesenke: one of three Sen family lineages of chanoyu


ōtsubo: large jar


qingquan (Chinese): mark on jar indicating “clear and perfect” (Japanese: seizen)


qingxiang (Chinese): mark on jar indicating “clear and fragrant” (Japanese: seikō)


Raku: family workshop in Kyoto that has produced low-fired, lead-glazed ceramics from the sixteenth century to the present day


renga: linked verse


rengeō: “lotus king” mark on jar; used in Japan as the name for a type of jar


rokurome: horizontal grooves created by turning on the potter’s wheel; term of tea jar connoisseurship


Ruson (Luson) tsubo: narrowly designates Chinese jars taken to Japan from the Philippines in the 1590s but came to be used for all Chinese tea jars


seikō: “pure fragrance”; an inscription often stamped on Chinese jars; used in Japan as the name for a type of jar


Senke jisshoku: group of ten specialized artisan families associated with the three Sen lineages of chanoyu


shifuku: custom-tailored drawstring pouch for a tea utensil, especially a container for powdered tea


shimofukura: “swollen lower body”; term of tea jar connoisseurship


shin: formal style; see gyō


shō (祥): auspicious graph present on base of Chigusa


: informal style; see gyōshin


tencha: dry, unrolled green tea leaves; raw material for matcha


tenmoku: type of dark-glazed tea bowl made at the Jian kilns in Fujian Province; see haikatsugi tenmoku


toko or tokonoma: alcove in tearoom for the display of objects


Tomita kinran: name given in Japan to a Chinese textile of a particular pattern in a gold-brocaded weave structure (kinran)


torio: securing cord (made for a tea-leaf storage jar)


tōyama: “distant mountains”; term of tea jar connoisseurship coined in Japan to describe incised undulating pattern on large jars


tsubo: jar


uchiai: overlapping glaze effect; term of tea jar connoisseurship


Uji: famous tea-producing area south of Kyoto


Urasenke: one of three Sen family lineages of chanoyu


usucha: thin tea; see koicha


uzurame: “quail-eye” pattern in Chigusa’s glaze; term of tea jar connoisseurship


yōsu: overall appearance of an object; term of tea jar connoisseurship


Sixteenth-Century Textual References to Chigusa

Translated by Andrew M. Watsky


1. Accounting of Karamono [Karamono oyoso no kazu], circa 1570–73.1 Recorded in the entry for objects owned by Jū no Sōho.

Chikusa, the ōtsubo 千(ち)草(くさ)ノ(の)大(おお)ツボ

2. Tennōjiya Sōgyū, as recorded on Genki 4 [1573].1.24 in his tea diary of gatherings he attended as a guest, Sōgyū takaiki.2 The host was Jū no Sōho; the guests were Sōeki (Sen no Rikyū), Kusabeya Dōsetsu, and Tennōjiya Sōgyū.

Same [year], first month, twenty fourth day, morningJū no Sōho                  Eki, Setsu, GyūOn the [sunken] hearth, Mitsuda Jōshū’s futon-shaped suspended kettle; a teoke and a kensantenmoku [tea bowl]. An ōtsubo, the first time I saw it. Chigusa 千種, Insetsu’s tsubo. From Insetsu’s time, there are a [mouth] cover and tsugari.3

3. Tennōjiya Sōgyū, as recorded on Tenshō 6 [1578].12.9 in his tea diary of gatherings he attended as a guest, Sōgyū takaiki.4 The host was Jū no Sōho; the guests were Tennōjiya Dōshitsu, Kusabeya Dōsetsu, and Tennōjiya Sōgyū.

Same [year], twelfth month, ninth dayJū no Sōho                  Shitsu, Setsu, GyūItem: [Sunken] hearth, Zenkō’s suspended kettle. At the intermission, a Shigaraki [fresh-water container].After tea, the chatsubo Chigusa千種was brought out, and later was placed in the alcove.Item: A tada tenmoku [tea bowl] was on a black [lacquer] stand with a foliate rim. A Bizen waste-water vessel.

4. Tennōjiya Sōgyū, as recorded on Tenshō 9 [1581].1.22 in his tea diary of gatherings he attended as a guest, Sōgyū takaiki.5 The host was Jū no Sōho; the guests were Zeniya Sōtotsu, and Tennōjiya Sōgyū.

Same [year], first month, twenty-second day, morningJū no Sōho                  Sōtotsu, SōgyūItem: Alcove: “Daruma” hanging; it was Insetsu’s “Daruma.”Item: On the [sunken] hearth, a suspended kettle on a chain. Behind, a teoke and a Bizen waste-water vessel.Item: A tada tenmoku [tea bowl] on a [lacquer] stand with a foliate rim.After tea, the ōtsubo was brought out and shown, and then was placed in the alcove.The above “Bodhidharma,” perhaps on silk, the brush of Jikifu [Japanese: Ko Chokufu; Chinese: Hu Zhifu, 13th century]; the inscription by Eseigan [i.e., Seigan Ryōe; Chinese: Xiyan Liaohui, 1198–1262].The mounting: the upper and lower borders are light green[-ground] kinsha, the borders are white-ground kinsha, the inner borders and decorative hanging strips are small-figure dark-blue-ground white brocade.

5. Tennōjiya Sōgyū, as recorded on Tenshō 106 [1582].10.7 in his tea diary of gatherings he attended as a guest, Sōgyū takaiki.7 The host was Kondaya Tokurin; the guests were Tennōjiya Dōshitsu, Zeniya Sōtotsu, and Tennōjiya Sōgyū.

Same [year], tenth month, seventh day, morningKondaya Tokurin                    Dōshitsu, Sōtotsu, SōgyūItem: Alcove: the chatsubo Chigusa千種, from the start, by itself. Later it was taken down [to be examined]. Dōshitsu placed it [back] in the alcove.

6. Imai Sōkyū, as recorded on Tenshō 118 [1583].1.27 in his tea diary, Imai Sōkyū chanoyu nikki nukigaki.9The host was Kondaya Tokurin; the guests were Imai Sōkyū, Tennōjiya Dōshitsu, Zeniya Sōtotsu.

1583, first month, twenty-seventh dayKondaya Tokurin                    Sōkyū, Dōshitsu, SōtotsuItem: Sunken hearth: an old kettle, on a chain.Item: In the alcove was a calligraphy scroll [bokuseki] by Kidō [Chinese: Xutang Zhiyu, 1185–1269]. It was hung from the start, and during the intermission, it was rolled up.Item: Alcove: the chatsubo Chigusa 千種, in a net bag. A tsurube, a tenmoku [tea bowl] with the implements [dōgu] in it, a nakatsugi; a mentsu, [previously owned by] Insetsu.Item: The calligraphy scroll [bokuseki]: the paper is one shaku, one sun, one bu high and two shaku, five sun wide. The mounting: the upper and lower borders are olive-brown [kobicha] hoken; the middle borders are white-ground gold brocade; the inner borders and decorative hanging strips are light-green[-ground] silver brocade with purple tassels.Item: The tsubo Chigusa千種: on the bottom there are blisters [kobu], there is the graph shō 祥, and there are also four ciphers. The[mouth] cover is red-colored [tanshoku] [-ground] gold brocade, and the cord is light blue.

7. Matsuya Hisayoshi, as recorded on Tenshō 14 [1586].4.25 in his tea diary, Matsuya kaiki.10 The host was Kondaya Tokurin; the guests were Matsue Ryūsen and Matsuya.

Fourth month, twenty fifth dayTo Sakai, Kondaya Tokurin, at an unspecified time                 Matsue Ryūsen and Hisayoshi, two peopleThe room [zashiki] was two-and-a-half mats.Chigusa千種ōtsubo. Displayed from the start. On the underside of the lid is said to be the name in Nōa[mi]’s brush. It was in a light blue net. The [mouth] cover was red [kō][-ground] gold brocade, and its cord [torio] was light brown [usukicha] colored. The two, both, were old. It was reported that Insetsu had them made, and the [mouth] cover was especially remarkable. [The jar] should hold about five to six kin of tea, had lines at the mouth, at the waist no “distant mountain” [tōyama] lines, the one-color glaze was “quail grain” [uzurame], no fire marks [hoguchi], had an uchiai overlap [in the glaze], the clay was red and remarkable. It is a meibutsu.Haikatsugi tenmoku [tea bowl], without a stand; a yarō; a mentsu; a tsurube; a ceramic lid rest[tsuchi hikikiri].[A description of the meal follows.]

8. Kamiya Sōtan, as recorded on Tenshō 15 [1587].1.6 in his tea diary, Sōtan nikki.11 The host was Kondaya Tokurin; Kamiya Sōtan was the only guest.

Sixth day, morning.Tokurin gathering        Sōtan, one person.Four and a half mat [room]. In the alcove from the beginning a calligraphy scroll [bokuseki] was hung [in the alcove]. At the [one shaku] four sun [square] sunken hearth a pole-and-hook was suspended and an old kettle (a suspended kettle).A tsurube; in a tenmoku [tea bowl] were implements; a nakatsugi; a mentsu; a lid rest [gotoku]. During the intermission, the calligraphy scroll [bokuseki] was rolled up and the tsubo Chigusa千種 was placed [in the alcove]. The [mouth] cover was red-colored [tanshoku] [-ground] small-figure gold brocade, old, and the closing cord was light blue, and the knot was in the old style, with the knot hanging.Item: For thin tea, it was a Korean [Kōrai] tea bowl.Item: The calligraphy scroll [bokuseki]: the paper is about one shaku, one sun high and about two shaku and four or five sun wide; there are twelve columns and the number of graphs is seventy five. The opening is two lines and two graphs, and then it is indented and there are five thin graphs, and then the inner part on the eighth line there are four. The upper and lower borders are olive-brown [kobicha] hokken; the middle borders are white-ground gold brocade (with a pattern of clematis flowers); the inner borders and decorative hanging strips are light green with purple tassels. Flared roller ends (quince). The blank paper is wide. No seal.[Abstracted illustration of format of calligraphy.]The tsubo Chigusa千種: the clay is coarse and red, the lower part swells, on the bottom are blisters [kobu], there are four ciphers; the graph shō 祥 is above one cipher. The glaze is thick, and there are many downward flows [nadare]. Below that [the glaze] appears to divide. Three potting lines. From the neck, between two of the nipples [chi, lugs] and above, there are small lines in three areas; in one area in the place between the nipples they cannot be seen. The [mouth] cover is red-colored [-ground], old, gold brocade, and the reverse is light blue.

9. The Records of Yamanoue no Sōji [Yamanoue no Sōji ki], 158812

Chigusa 千種                At Sakai, Kondaya Tokurin.It was Insetsu’s tsubo.


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