Tea Jar with Peony Arabesque and Plum in Cochin (Kōchi) Style 1850 - 1899

Eiraku Tokuzen crafted this ceramic tea jar, adorned with peony arabesques and plum designs, in the Kōchi style. The jar's vibrant colours and intricate floral patterns are deeply rooted in the social and cultural history of Japan. Created during the Meiji period, a time of rapid modernization and Westernization, this tea jar reflects the era’s complex negotiation between tradition and innovation. The Kōchi style, known for its rich palette and raised enamel decoration, was often favored by the elite merchant class, who used these objects in tea ceremonies that had become social and political stages. The choice of peonies and plums, both symbols of prosperity and longevity, speaks to the aspirational values of the rising bourgeoisie. To fully appreciate the jar, one might delve into records of ceramic production, merchant patronage, and the evolving rituals of tea culture during the Meiji era. This would reveal much about the social conditions that shaped Tokuzen’s artistic production and the jar’s role in a society undergoing profound transformation.