chaire (Tea Container)

Called chaire (茶入れ), this is a type of tea caddy used for storing concentrated think green powdered tea to serve koicha (濃茶; “thick tea”) in a traditional form of the Japanese tea ceremony known as sadō or chadō (茶道; the way of tea) and chanoyu (茶の湯). This elaborate ritual became an important part of Japan’s social fabric early in the 16th century, and is a choregraphed way of preparing and serving tea. Koicha is served at a chaji (a more formal tea ceremony than a chakai). The pale cream crackled and painted wares known as Sutsuma ware in the west were developed for export.

Ed5.3160-64 (five ceramic tea caddies) were purchased from Sotheby's, NY, in 1982. The containers each had an ivory lid, however the lids were seized at the border due to the ban on the export and import of material derived from endangered species (CITES).

Satsuma ware ceramic tea caddy (without its lid). Cylinder slightly incurved to flat unglazed string cut base displaying red-brown body. Matte, brown-flecked green glaze, of an orange peel consistency, pools to dark brown on the flat shoulder then ends short of the base in streaks and thick pools of green and yellow-white.