The presentation of a ceramic tea caddy is a vital element within the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), where these small vessels are used to hold the precious matcha powder or thick tea (koicha) served to guests. Historically, their forms were often restrained and austere, drawing inspiration from 13th-century Chinese wares imported to Japan, as expressed in this high shouldered tea caddy with a meditative ash glaze by Ueda Juhō (1925-2022). In contemporary ceramics, however, tea caddies have become a site of diverse artistic exploration, with modern ceramicists reinterpreting and expanding upon these traditional forms.

This tea caddy was made in the Ko-Shigaraki tradition—“Old Shigaraki,” a style that recalls the firing techniques and character of Edo-period ceramics—by Ueda Juhō. A highly respected Shigaraki ceramicist, Ueda was renowned for his tea wares and flower vessels. In 1979, he was officially designated a master of Shigaraki pottery by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and in 2008 he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure (瑞宝章, Zuihō-shō). He is widely regarded as one of the leading figures in the revival of traditional Shigaraki ware and wood-firing techniques. The master potter passed away at age 95 in July of 2022.