Uesugi Hyotan
上杉瓢箪
Alternate Name: Otomo Hyotan 大友瓢箪, Usuki Hyotan 臼杵瓢箪
Rank
Chaire Type
Historical Period
Current Owner / Collection
Denrai
Omeibutsu 大名物, Higashiyama gyobutsu 東山御物, Ryuei gomotsu 柳営御物
Kansaku karamono hyotan chaire 漢作唐物瓢箪茶入
Southern Song – Yuan Dynasty 南宋–元時代
Nomura Museum 野村美術館
Ashikaga Yoshimasa 足利義政 – Murata Shuko 村田珠光 – Takeno Joo 武野紹鴎 – Ouchi Yoshitaka
大内義隆 – Ouchi Yoshinaga 大内義長 – Mori Motonari 毛利元就 – Otomo Sorin 大友宗麟 –
Usuki Akisumi 臼杵鑑速 — Otomo Yoshimune 大友義統 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊臣秀吉 – Uesugi Kagekatsu 上杉景勝 – Uesugi Tsunakatsu 上杉綱勝 – Tokugawa Shogun family 徳川将軍家 –Kaga Maeda family 加賀前田家 – Tokugawa Shogun family 徳川将軍家 – Kishu Tokugawa family 紀州徳川家 – Nomura Tokuan 野村得庵 – Nomura Museum 野村美術館
Origin of Name and Stories
The Uesugi Hyotan has been valued and desired by tea masters and warriors alike throughout its long history. Originally in Ashikaga Yoshimasa’s collection, its name changed with owners from time to time. At one point it was named Otomo Hyotan and later became better known as Uesugi Hyotan.
When this chaire was owned by Ouchi Yoshinaga, the Ouchi clan was defeated by Mori Motonari, to whom the chaire passed. Otomo Sorin, Yoshinaga’s stepbrother, did not request of Motonari that his stepbrother’s life be spared. His request was for this chaire. The chaire was later given by Sorin to his retainer Usuki Akisumi and following Akisumi’s death returned to the Otomo family.
At the Kitano Ochanoyu in 1587, Hideyoshi set up his gold tearoom with a gold daisu. This gourd-shaped chaire, by then in Hideyoshi’s collection, rested atop the gold daisu on a square tray. At that time, this chaire was known as Usuki Hyotan 臼杵瓢箪.
Physical Description
Its perfect Chinese gourd shape has earned this small, graceful chaire a reputation of being superlative among the six best hyotan chaire in the world. The persimmon-colored base glaze supports numerous changes of scenery. A fluid black glaze runs over the widest part of the torso and continues to the bottom of the chaire(tatamitsuki). The Inaba Hyotan 稲葉瓢箪, Shinjuan Hyotan 真珠庵瓢箪, Sakuma Hyotan 佐久間瓢箪, Chaya Hyotan 茶屋瓢箪, and Tamashimazu Hyotan玉島津瓢箪 comprise the remaining five of the six best hyotan chaire.
Height: 6.5 cm
Weight: 54 g
Mouth diameter: 3.0 cm
Body diameter: 6.4 cm
Base diameter: 2.6 cm
Accompanying items
Lid
Shifuku
Ivory
Three (From left to right)
Higashiyama kinran 東山金襴
Chaji hyomon kiniri donsu 茶地瓢紋金入緞子
Aoki kanto 青木間道
Tray
Hikiya
Hikiyabukuro
Box inscriptions
Karamono shushitsu baika bon 唐物朱漆梅花盆, Chinese red lacquer plum-flower tray
Black lacquer
Nandoji hishiryumon kinran 納戸地菱龍紋金襴
Four
Inner box: 瓢箪 hyotan, by Katagiri Sekishu 片桐石州
Middle box: 瓢箪 hyotan
Outer box: 東山御物 瓢箪茶入 袋共 Higashiyama gyobutsu hyotan chaire fukuro tomo
Box for the tray: 瓢箪 盆 唐朱塗 hyotan bon kara shunuri, by Katagiri Sekishu 片桐石州
