Chinese “round jar” tea caddy 

Yuan–Ming dynasty, China (14^th–15^th century) 

Donated by the Homma family

This Chinese tea caddy is well-proportioned, with a pleasing roundness and rich, generous curves. A mixture of tea-brown and black-brown glazes have been used here to splendid effect. 

It was first acquired by Sakai Tadakatsu, the first lord of the Shōnai Domain, from Itsutsuya Chuzaemon in 1626, and later passed onwards to the Homma family.