How does Shigaraki ware storage jar (Indianapolis Museum of Art) elucidate its History?
Such jars from Shigaraki were originally created for grain storage. However, their rough simplicity captured the attention of Zen practitioners, and they began to use them as water jars during the Japanese tea ceremony beginning in the sixteenth century. Their very imperfections, such as asymmetry and uneven coloration, made them all the more suitable as representations of the artless perfection sought for the meditative ritual.The jar was purchased in 1981 with the help of the Martha Delzell Memorial Fund. It currently is on display in the Valeria J. Medveckis Gallery and has the accession number 81.378. Shigaraki ware jars of similar size and age have recently sold for between $10,000 and $50,000.
Japanese tea ceremony Zen Japan Japanese Shigaraki ware Shigaraki