Designated Cultural Property of Yamagata Prefecture
China
Yuan dynasty (14th century)
Acquired in 1965 (donated by the Homma family)
Large celadon vases of this kind, also known as Tenryū-ji celadon vases, were fired at the Longquan kilns in Zhejiang Province during China’s Yuan dynasty. Large long-necked vases with flared mouths such as these were often used in pairs to adorn temple altars along with incense burners and candlesticks. They have mainly been found at temples in Kamakura and Kyōto.
It is said that Kiyomasa Katō (1587–1611, daimyō of Kumamoto) brought them back after the Japanese invasion of Korea, and that his son and successor Tadahiro then brought them with him when he was exiled to the Maruoka region of the Shōnai Domain in Dewa Province (modern day Yamagata Prefecture). Later, they were handed down to the Homma family from the Sakai family of the Shōnai Domain. After several generations, it is highly rare to find a complete pair of the vases, making them extremely valuable.