199 - A SUPERB MINO ORIBE WARE ‘AUTUMN GRASSES’ MIZUSASHI (FRESH WATER JAR)

A SUPERB MINO ORIBE WARE ‘AUTUMN GRASSES’ MIZUSASHI (FRESH WATER JAR) With an impressed seal Japan, 19th century, late Edo period (1615-1868) to Meiji period (1868-1912) Superbly potted, the cylindrical body with subtly waisted sides and fine horizontal throwing lines, gently tapering toward a short foot and rising to a broad circular mouth. The vessel is fitted with a deeply recessed, dish-shaped cover, beautifully glazed in lustrous shades of emerald and moss green and centered by a rounded, tiered tama-shaped knop. The exterior is freely painted in iron brown with slender autumn grasses and reeds, their elegantly sweeping stems and leaves emerging from a warm ivory ground suffused with fine crackle. A rich copper-green glaze flows dramatically from the upper rim in bold, irregular cascades, pooling in darker tones and creating a striking contrast with the spontaneous, almost calligraphic brushwork below. The glaze stops short of the base, revealing the buff-colored stoneware body. Particularly noteworthy is the underside, displaying a beautifully pronounced spiral of closely spaced string-cut marks, with a small impressed two-character seal. Inscriptions: The underside with an impressed two-character seal, tentatively read 重瓶 (Juhei/Jubei or Shigekame). The first character, 重, also appears in the personal name Shigenari (重然) of Furuta Oribe (古田織部, 1544-1615), possibly suggesting an intentional homage to the celebrated tea master. HEIGHT 15.4 cm Condition: Excellent condition with typical firing irregularities. No visible damage or signs of restoration (examined under UV light). Oribe ware emerged in the Mino kilns of present-day Gifu Prefecture during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, closely associated with the innovative aesthetic of the celebrated warrior and tea master Furuta Oribe (1544–1615). Characterized by its vibrant copper-green glazes, expressive iron-brown decoration, and unconventional forms, Oribe represented a radical departure from the restrained traditions of earlier Japanese tea ceramics. Its distinctive aesthetic enjoyed a revival during the Edo period, when potters reinterpreted the bold designs of their Momoyama predecessors. The present mizusashi beautifully exemplifies this tradition, its freely brushed autumn grasses and dramatically flowing green glaze balanced by the refined proportions of the vessel and the carefully worked spiral-cut underside. Museum comparison: Compare an earlier Shino/Oribe ware mizusashi similarly decorated with autumn grasses, dated to the Momoyama period (1573–1615), 17.5 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2019.193.55a, b. Compare a related earlier Oribe ware sake bottle decorated with a three-leaf arrowhead, dated to the early 17th century, 17.8 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2002.447.25.