Object
Tea caddy
- Black lacquerware
- Japan, Edo period, 18th century
- Collection of Tokyo National Museum
Resembling a jujube fruit, this rounded lacquer tea caddy called natsume has been made and used in Japan since the Muromachi period. From the late 16th century and onward, it was used in tea ceremonies for storing matcha. The unpolished surface gives it a deep and smooth texture of black lacquer.
