Oribe-Type Ewer

early 17th century

The military general Furuta Oribe (1544–1615) was a tea connoisseur whose style of presentation at tea gatherings catered to the samurai class and rulers of 17th-century Japan. In contrast to his predecessors, Oribe preferred tea wares that were bold and eccentric rather than subtle and rustic. He was the first to recognize the beauty of artfully misshapen ceramics for use in tea gatherings.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Japan

Date

early 17th century

Medium

Glazed stoneware

Dimensions

26.7 × 21.6 cm (10 1/2 × 8 1/2 in.)

Origin

Japan

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Gift of Robert Allerton