Rikyu Shirifukura
利休尻ふくら
Rank
Chaire Type
Historical Period
Current Owner / Collection
Denrai
Omeibutsu 大名物
Karamono Shirifukura chaire 唐物尻膨茶入
Southern Song – Yuan Dynasty 南宋–元時代
Eisei Bunko Museum 永青文庫
Sen Rikyu 千利休 – Tokugawa family 徳川家 – Tokugawa Hidetada 徳川秀忠 – Second generation head Hosokawa Tadaoki (Sansai) 細川家二代忠興(三斎) – Uto-shihan Hosokawa Yukitaka 宇土支藩細川行孝 – Fifth generation head Hosokawa Tsunatoshi 細川家五代綱利 – Hosokawa family 細川家 – Eisei Bunko Museum 永青文庫
Origin of Name and Stories
The name Rikyu Shirifukura came from Rikyu’s ownership of this chaire. It appears frequently in records of Rikyu’s gatherings, including the Kitano Ochanoyu. According to Hosokawa family histories, on the 19th day of the third month in 1601, the second Tokugawa shogun, Hidetada, awarded this chaire to Hosokawa Tadaoki (Sansai) for his military success at the battle of Sekigahara. Sansai had long coveted this chaire. The chaire was passed to Sansai’s grandson, Uto-shian Hosokawa Yukitaka. Later, it returned to the fifth generation head of the main Hosokawa family, Tsunatoshi. Since then, it has been treasured by the Hosokawa family.
Physical Description
The Shirifukura shape has been described as similar that of eggplant (nasu), with a flat base. As the name “Shirifukura” implies, the chaire has a small shoulder and flares outward toward the hip. The clay has a very viscous quality and is reddish in coloration. A purple-tinged glaze completely covers the body. Two glaze drips fall on both the front and back of the chaire, stopping where the chaire touches the tray (bontsuki). This chaire features a sunken line (chinsen) located a little above the middle of the body. The line generates a feeling of stability. The interior of the chaire is glazed around the mouth only.
Height: 6.1 cm
Mouth diameter: 2.7 cm
Body diameter: 6.5 cm
Base diameter: 2.8 cm
Accompanying items
Lid
Shifuku
Two, ivory
Three (From left to right)
Shima kanto 嶋間道
Ito nishiki 糸錦
Jodai shima kanto 上代嶋間道
Hikiya
Hikiyabukuro
Box inscriptions
Black lacquer
Fusube kawa ふすべ革, leather cured with pine-needle smoke
Two, both by Hosokawa Tadaoki (Sansai) 細川忠興(三斎)
Inner box: 利休 尻ふくら Rikyu Shirifukura
Box for shifuku: 利休 尻ふくら袋 三 Rikyu Shirifukura fukuro mitsu
Research and Image Sources
Eisei Bunko
Chadogu no sekai, volume 5 (Tankosha)
Tanko bessatsu No.55 (Tankosha)
