Hot water kettle / basin
Mid-Edo period (18C)
Purchased / Museum’s own collection
This is part of a wedding (or bridal) set, which is said to have been prepared for the marriage of Sakai Tadayori (1705–1766), the fifth lord of the Shōnai domain, and Chōhime, the adopted daughter of Maeda Tsunanori, the fifth lord of the Kaga domain. It is adorned with the crests of the Sakai and Maeda families, the wood sorrel (‘Katabami-mon’) and plum blossom (‘Umebachi-mon’) respectively.
Known as a yutō, the lacquerware hot water kettle was used for holding broth or tea, while the large basin you see would have been used to bathe in.