vase, unknown maker from Japan

Blue-and-white porcelain is a ceramic technique that matured in China in the 14th century. Inspired by this Chinese technique, Japanese makers began to produce blue-and-white ceramics for both domestic and international markets around the 17th century. This jar combines both Chinese and Japanese influences. The technique, shape, and decorative motifs recall Chinese prototypes while the naturalistic depiction of flowers and grass demonstrates a Japanese aesthetic.

Beginning in the 18th century, the Japanese adopted the Chinese tradition of drinking sencha (leaf tea) instead of traditional Japanese powder tea. Jars like this one were often used to hold tea. The jar is carefully coated with transparent glaze except for the mouth and neck, indicating that it may have had a lid. When it entered the Spencer’s collection it was called a vase, which suggests that its function shifted from tea storage to a flower vase in a Western context.