Vintage Japanese Mizusashi Water Vessel Plum Blossoms Motif w/ Box for Tea Ceramony "

Vintage Japanese White Glazed Mizusashi Plum Blossom Landscape

A graceful vintage Japanese ceramic mizusashi, finished in a soft, luminous white glaze and decorated with a continuous hand-painted landscape featuring an old plum tree in bloom. The gnarled trunk and spreading branches are rendered with expressive brushwork, while delicate blossoms and rocky outcroppings create a tranquil scene that wraps around the vessel. The restrained palette and generous areas of white glaze embody the quiet elegance prized in Japanese tea ceramics.

The vessel has a gently rounded body with a broad mouth and matching fitted ceramic lid. The softly modeled rim adds subtle movement to the otherwise simple form, allowing the painted decoration to remain the focal point. Intended for use as a fresh water jar in the Japanese tea ceremony, the mizusashi occupies an essential place in the tea room, balancing beauty with practical function.

Plum blossoms (ume) are among the most beloved motifs in Japanese art, symbolizing perseverance, renewal, and the first promise of spring. Blooming while winter still lingers, they have long been celebrated in tea culture for their quiet resilience and understated beauty.

Whether appreciated as a functional tea utensil or displayed as a decorative ceramic vessel, this mizusashi offers a refined example of traditional Japanese craftsmanship and aesthetics.

A wonderful addition to collections of Japanese tea ceremony utensils, mizusashi, studio ceramics, or traditional Asian decorative arts.