Literary Lacquers

Sydney L. Moss Ltd. is mounting an exhibition of suzuribako in conjunction with 'literary lacquers', a new publication of a selection of superfine lacquer boxes by artists such as Ogawa Haritsu, Mochizuki Hanzan and Shirayama Shōsai to name a few.

In conjunction with our literary lacquers display we are mounting a small and special group of 10 superlative chaire from an old European collection. These ceramic tea caddies are the handpicked few kept back for the collection from a whittling down from more than 120 pieces some twenty years ago.

Generally taking the shape of a small ceramic jar with an ivory lid, chaire are classified on the basis of the kiln in which they were produced and which of the wide array of forms that they take. Chaire hold the powdered tea used in the making of koicha, or thick tea, in the cha no yu tea ceremony and have pride of place as that ceremony’s most important fired objects, ahead of even Cha wan (tea bowls) – according to A.L Sadler’s 1962 book “Cha-no-yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony”:

“The most important pottery of the Cha-no-yu is first the Cha-ire and then the Cha-wan. It is said that among the military class the most precious possessions were first Tea-caddies, second writings and third swords. For this was the order in which they were presented by the Shogun to one he desired to honour.”

Monday to Friday: 10:00 - 5:30
Saturday 7th November: closed
Monday 9th November: 10:00 - 9:00

Sydney L. Moss Ltd.
12 Queen Street
Mayfair
London W1J 5PG

Phone: +44 20 7629 4670