The Chitra Collection: Tea Wares of Japan

The Chitra Collection: Tea Wares of Japan
The Western-style Satsuma tea set for six people, with teapot, sugar bowl, and milk jug, is decorated with images of cockerels, hens, pheasants, ducks, and other birds in various landscapes and with gold embellishment on the rim of each piece. It was made towards the end of the 19th century by Seikozan, a Satsuma producer who became famous for the fine quality of his work at a time when some manufacturers were sacrificing quality for quantity in order to meet the demands of the burgeoning Western market.

Text by Jane Pettigrew • Photography Courtesy of N Sethia Foundation

The third article about the collection of historic teawares owned by the N Sethia Foundation focuses on items from Japan, where the complex history of tea drinking and tea utensils is closely bound up with Zen Buddhism, the imperial court, class, politics, and trade.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Really enjoyed learning of the history of the Tea Wares of Japan. Just added your blog to my own watchlist… eager to see what’s to come! Love the photography of such a beautiful collection!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.