Rikyu Marutsubo
利休丸壷
Rank
Chaire Type
Historical Period
Current Owner / Collection
Denrai
Omeibutsu 大名物
Kansaku karamono marutsubo chaire 漢作唐物丸壷茶入
Southern Song Dynasty 南宋時代
Kosetsu Museum of Art 香雪美術館
Sen Rikyu 千利休 – Mozuya Soetsu 万代屋宗悦 – Kanamori Hoin 金森法印, Kanamori Izumo no kami Arishige 金森出雲守可重 – Goto Tokujo 後藤徳乗 – Mizuno Hyuga no kami Katsunari 水野日向守勝成, Mizuno Mimasaka no kami Katsutoshi 水野美作守勝俊 – Asabuki Saian 朝吹柴庵 – Murayama family 村山家 – Kosetsu Museum of Art 香雪美術館



Origin of Name and Stories
The name Rikyu Marutsubo derives from its illustrious owner Sen Rikyu. Later it passed through many hands, acquiring a number of accompanying items. Among them is an elaborately lacquered hikiya, which itself is protected in a leather bag. The leather bag is stored in a box with cushions on all sides. In turn, this box sits protected in the same manner in a thick copper box equipped with locks and handles for transport. Clearly, the chaire’s owners were attempting to protect it from every conceivable disaster.
Physical Description
The Rikyu Marutsubo is admired for its beautiful shape and gorgeous glaze gradations. It is tall for a marutsubo chaire. The neck is elongated and the lip is sharply everted. Metallic hues mingle with the dark purplish base glaze. A bluish persimmon color flashes here and there on the surface. A fall of yellow glaze descends from the shoulder to the base, where it forms into a single droplet. Adjacent flame-like scenery completes the dramatic beauty of this chaire.
Height: 7.2 cm
Weight: 65 g
Mouth diameter: 3.5 cm
Body diameter: 7.4 cm
Base diameter: 2.9 cm
Accompanying items
Lid
Shifuku
Two, ivory
Four (From left to right)
Konji butsumon kinran 紺地仏紋金襴
Tomita kinran 富田金襴
Fujitane donsu 藤種緞子
Shijira kando 縬間道
Hikiya
Hikiyabukuro
Sansui takamakie 山水高蒔絵, low-relief gold lacquer landscape
Fusube kawa ふすべ革, leather cured with pine-needle smoke

Accompanying documents
Yuzurijo 譲状, a letter transferring the chaire from Goto Tokujo 後藤徳乗 to Mizuno Hyuga no kami Katsunari 水野日向守勝成
Research and Image Sources
Kosetsu Museum
Chadogu no sekai, volume 5 (Tankosha)
Genshoku chado daijiten (Tankosha)


