Bizen Chaire | Anjin ABE
備前茶入 | 安倍安人

Shifuku, Double Wood Boxes
Size(cm) W6.5H8.8

It is said that during the ancient Sengoku period, a chaire was worth as much as a castle.
A small jar of matcha powder.
Matcha powder was extremely valuable as a medicine, so there must have been value in having it in a beautiful little jar. That’s my guess. Nowadays, we have airtight containers that help keep the tea fresh, but back then, it wasn’t a matter of preservation ability; the freshly ground matcha itself was valuable, and that’s why it was stored in better containers (tea caddies with artistic value). I think it was freshly ground and used straight away. There were probably fewer good medicines available back then, and people had shorter life spans.That’s why it was worth it.
Abe Sensei may be best known for his mizusashi, but aficionados know that his chaire are also extremely fascinating.
I also drink at least two chawans of tea every day. There are many different medicines available today, but I believe that tea is still a very good medicine. I think that people who drink a lot of tea tend to live longer.
It’s difficult to convey the quality of the work through photographs alone, so I would like to convey how it feels when you hold it in your hand.It feels very soft to hold.There is no feeling of it catching on the skin.
It’s truly a wonderful piece of work.