Tsubo-Jar / Tokoname / Tokoname / Unknown
14th Century Tokoname 'Fushiki' Jar
Dating to the late Nanbokucho period(1336-1392)- early Muromachi period(1393-1573), this is a squat style Tokoname jar known as a 'fushiki jar.' The reason for this name is, 'The lord of the Tokoname Castle in the Momoyama period, Mizuno Kenmotsu, gave the name 'Fushiki' to an old Tokoname jar he sent to the renowned Tea Master Sen no Rikyu. The appellation of 'fushiki' comes from a well-known dialog between the Chinese Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty and the Zen patriarch Bodhidharma, the account recorded in the Song Dynasty work Biyanhu. The emperor asked, "What is the holy and ultimate truth?" Bodhidharma replied, "It is the emptiness itself and nothing is holy." Who then," asked the emperor, "now stands confronting me?" Bodhidharma's answer was, "I do not know (fushiki). Thus, fushiki has the Zen sense of "beyond knowledge." This background, plus the low and wide shape of these jars, suggest the common depiction of Bodhidharma seated with his legs folded beneath him, resulted in these types of jars being known as fushiki. (Taken from the book 'The Famous Ceramics of Japan, Tokoname,' Yoshiharu Sawada, Published by Kodansha Int'l Ltd., 1982). So, this is a superb example of such a fushiki jar--a few others are shown here from our gallery library--with a solid fushiki form, some obvious chips on the lip, and a rare kiln marking on the shoulder. In very good condition, 16.8cm.tallx20.7-21.4., old box, Rare.
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