This exceptional early 17th-century Japanese yutō (hot water pot) is a rare and beautifully preserved example of lacquer artistry from the early Edo period. Cylindrical in form, with a short, tapering spout and compressed loop handle, the vessel rests on three shaped bracket feet. It is surmounted by a fitted circular cover, creating a harmonious and balanced profile.

 

Japan, Early Edo Period, Early 17th Century

 

Height: 18 cm (7 1/8 in.). Width: 32 cm (12 5/8 in.)

 

The exterior is richly decorated in gold and silver maki-e over a lustrous black lacquer ground. The floral and fruit motifs, composed of overlapping leafy gourds and melon vines, are rendered in exquisite detail using a combination of burnished low-relief work and nashiji—a technique involving the sprinkling of gold or silver flakes over a lacquer base. The contrast between the softly gleaming nashiji and the polished gold and silver relief produces a dynamic visual effect that enhances the vessel’s sculptural presence. The interior and base are finished in plain black lacquer, as is typical of high-quality utilitarian objects intended for ritual use.

 

This form of ewer was typically used in Zen Buddhist temples for ritual purification and the preparation of tea, linking it closely to the cultural practices of monastic life and the tea ceremony. The refined decoration and technical sophistication suggest that this yutō was created for a temple of considerable status or as a prestigious offering.A basin bearing closely related decoration, dated to circa 1620, is held in the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris, formerly part of the collection of the Musée de la Marine at the Louvre. That example shares the same intricate gold and silver maki-e technique, providing an important comparative reference for dating and attribution.

 

A related yutō in negoro lacquer, with similar overall proportions, is illustrated in East Asian Lacquer: The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, Watt and Ford, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1991, fig. 82. While differing in finish, it underscores the continuity of form and function within the typology of Japanese temple ewers.

 

Yutō of this scale and quality are extremely rare, particularly with such a well-preserved surface and lid. This example not only embodies the technical mastery of early Edo lacquer artists but also provides valuable insight into the intersection of utilitarian form, religious ritual, and the aesthetics of early 17th-century Japan.