Ko-akae Kōsen Tea Container

Late Ming dynasty, China (17^th Century)

Donated by Satō Kiyoharu

Ko-akae are a type of five-colored porcelain ware that were fired in the Jingdezhen kilns during the last years of China’s Ming dynasty. The five colors used were red, navy, yellow, green, and purple, paints via which images and patterns were created. The free and unrestrained brushstrokes and aesthetically pleasing artlessness of the craftsmanship are beloved by tea masters. Kōsen-cha tea was first brewed in the Edo Period (16^th to mid-19^th centuries), with fragrant ingredients in powdered form mixed with salt, over which hot water is poured.