Japanese tea caddy (chair) in Mino-Karatsu, mid-Edo period, fitted with a silver lid. Antique tomobako with hakogaki mentioning "Mino-Karatsu", "Ōhira kiln" and "mid-Edo period", signature/seal "Kikuta" (sanji, Tokugawa Art Museum).

Key points

• Type: Tea ceremony chair (chaki), Mino-Karatsu style
• Dating: mid-Edo period (18th century), according to the inscription on the box
• Oven: Ōhira‑gama (Ohira kiln), indicated on the hakogaki
• Lid: antique silver, patinated
• Box (tomobako): calligraphic inscription mentioning Tokugawa Art Museum; signature read “Kikuta” (菊田) and first name probably “Kiyotoshi” (清年); “菊田” seal
• Dimensions: approx. 11 × 6.9 cm (≈ 4.33 × 2.72 in)
• Condition: very good used condition; original crackled glaze (kan-nyū), small irregularities and traces of firing.

An elegant Japanese Mino-Karatsu ceramic matcha tea caddy (chair), with a speckled white glaze and ferruginous drips, typical of chanoyu teapots. The silver lid adds a touch of refinement. The original caddy bears a hakogaki inscription reading "Mino-Karatsu chair," "Ōhira kiln," and "mid-Edo period," as well as the inscription "sanji (administrator) of the Tokugawa Art Museum" with a signature and "Kikuta" seal. Attribution and reading are based on this inscription.