Water Pot for the Tea Ceremony c. 1920

This water pot, made by an anonymous artist, is a simple cylindrical form with a flat lid, likely made on a potter’s wheel. The colour palette is restrained, focusing on neutral tones of cream and grey, it is as if the colours have been chosen to soothe, calm and focus the mind. Running your eyes over the surface of the pot, you’ll notice the texture created by the potter's hands, those horizontal lines, acting as a visual reminder of the making process. The branches painted on the outside have a similar simplicity. Look closely at the dark grey marks, loose and gestural, almost like brushstrokes on canvas, contrasting beautifully with the smooth, matte surface of the pot. The marks are quick and confident, each one a small act of meditation. This piece reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin's work; though Agnes used grids and pale colours on canvas, both artists share a love for the subtle, quiet, and meditative. Art, like tea, can be about finding beauty in the everyday, in the simple acts of creation and contemplation.