Images(3)

Tea caddy

Date20th century

Maker Miwa Kyuwa Japanese, 1895 - 1981

Label TextTea caddies are used to store tea powders to keep them fresh. They are often prized items of tea ceremony practitioners. Created by a famed potter, this one holds two sets of silk storage bags as well as storage boxes. The multiple layers of wrapping signal the importance of the tea caddy and exemplify the Japanese tradition of wrapping.

Object number2017.8

Provenance[Kogire-kai auction, Kyoto, Japan]; purchased by Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2017

Photo CreditPhoto: Elizabeth Mann

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Folding into Shape: Japanese Design and Crafts, Sept. 18, 2021 - Sept. 25, 2022.Published ReferencesKOGIRE-KAI 94th Silent Auction Catalogue. Auction cat. Kyoto, Japan: Kogire-kai, December 13, 2016; vol. 2, p. 218.

Credit LineGift of Mary and Cheney Cowles

DimensionsOuter box: 7 1/8 x 9 3/4 x 4 1/4 in. (18.1 x 24.8 x 10.8 cm) Inner box: 5 5/8 x 8 3/4 x 3 3/8 in. (14.3 x 22.2 x 8.6 cm) Tea pot: 3 1/2 x 2 1/4 in. (8.9 x 5.7 cm) Lid diameter: 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm)

MediumCeramic