Japanese-Style Small Lidded Ceramic Jar, Amber-Brown Glaze, Slip-Trailed Branch Design, Tea Caddy Style

A SMALL JAR THAT HOLDS A DRAWING

Warm amber-brown glaze, glossy and finely speckled, wraps a squat round jar. Across its body, a pale yellow branch wanders in raised, slightly crackled lines, ending in a loop and a small bud. The cover is crowned with a bud-shaped knob, and when you lift it you find a deep black glaze inside, framed by a reddish-brown rim. This is a small lidded ceramic jar in the spirit of a Japanese tea caddy, rustic and quietly decorated.

QUICK FACTS
• Type: small lidded ceramic jar / canister, in a tea-caddy style
• Glaze: glossy amber-brown (飴釉, ame-yū), finely speckled; black glaze inside
• Decoration: pale yellow slip-trailed lines (筒描き / イッチン) forming a branch with a loop
• Form: squat, rounded body with a short neck and a flat cover with a bud-shaped knob
• Rim: reddish-brown rim where the cover sits
• Origin: Japan

WHAT IS AMBER GLAZE?
Amber glaze (飴釉, ame-yū) belongs to the family of Tenmoku iron glazes. The glaze contains iron salts that turn black when oxidized. Where the iron content is low, the glaze fires yellow-brown, which gives amber. Where it is high, the glaze turns red-brown, called kaki (persimmon).

WHAT IS SLIP-TRAILING?
Icchin (イッチン), or slip-trailing, uses a pen-like tool with a fine, hollow tip to apply liquid clay in raised lines, dots or patterns. The raised line gives the drawing texture and depth, which you can see and feel here. This branch is drawn freely, and we do not identify its species.

THE TEA CADDY TRADITION
In the Japanese tea ceremony, powdered tea is kept in a small jar called a chaire (茶入), usually ceramic, in shapes such as katatsuki (shouldered), nasu (eggplant) and bunrin (round, like an apple). Brown-glazed chaire are classic. A true chaire, however, is small with a narrow mouth. This jar has a wider mouth and a flat cover with a knob, so we describe it as tea-caddy style, not as a chaire.

A NOTE ON STORING TEA
A ceramic cover like this one is generally not airtight. Matcha is best kept in an airtight container, in a cool, dark place. If you use this jar for tea, place the leaves or powder in a sealed bag or tin inside it.

DISPLAY AND USE
Sold as a collectible and decorative piece. The glaze composition has not been tested, so we do not recommend using it for food or direct tea contact unless you have it tested. Avoid soaking, dishwashers and abrasive pads, and handle the raised slip lines gently.

CONDITION AND AUTHENTICITY
Sold as a [contemporary / vintage] Japanese-style lidded ceramic jar, [maker unconfirmed]. Glaze speckles, fine crackle in the slip lines and surface variation are part of its character. Please review all photos and ask any question before buying.

SHIPPING
Packed in double-boxed protection with foam and paper cushioning, with the cover wrapped separately. Ships worldwide with tracking. Duties and taxes may apply on arrival.