Antique Japanese Blue & White Porcelain Mizusashi Water Jar

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This antique Japanese blue and white porcelain mizusashi dates to the Meiji period (1868-1912) and was made for use in … Read more This antique Japanese blue and white porcelain mizusashi dates to the Meiji period (1868-1912) and was made for use in the tea ceremony. The jar is finely potted with a gently rounded shoulder and straight neck, creating a balanced and composed silhouette prized in tea practice.
Decorated in underglaze cobalt with scrolling and floral motifs, the surface displays a soft, even glaze and a refined porcelain body. The interior is fully glazed, and the foot rim is neatly finished. While modest in scale and decoration, this piece embodies the quiet functionality and restraint that define well-chosen tea utensils, making it equally suitable for display within a collection or as a sculptural object in a thoughtfully layered interior.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE
Looking closely at the foot of this piece reinforces its age. The footrim is slightly gritty and roughly planed rather than crisply machined—a finish that is typical of authentic Meiji-period porcelain made for use rather than display. This is very difficult to replicate convincingly and is often absent in later decorative wares or modern reproductions.
Details like this matter in tea ceramics. Mizusashi were working vessels, selected for balance and surface rather than perfection, and the quiet irregularities found here speak to that tradition. It’s these subtle, functional characteristics—visible only upon close handling—that often distinguish period examples from later interpretations.

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