Zeze Eared Tea Container

Edo period (17th-18th centuries)

Donated by Satō Kiyoharu

Zeze-yaki is a type of pottery crafted in Zeze, an area of what is now Otsu City, the capital of Shiga Prefecture. First created within the grounds of the Zeze domanial castle, it’s notable for its iron glaze tinged with dark spotting. The domanial lord Ishikawa Tadafusa had a close relationship with the tea master Kobori Enshū, and the estimation of Zeze-yaki grew under the direction of Enshū. However, it later fell into decline, only experiencing a revival from 1919.