An exquisite 19th century tile in burnt orange clouded with green, a sprig of dry grass growing up in rich iron silhouette on one corner. This was made to hold the Furo brazier during the making of Maccha tea in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It is 24 x 24 x 3 cm (9-1/2 x 9-1/2 x 1 inches) and is in overall fine condition, with two firing cracks along the green edge typical of wood fired solid slab pottery. The tile comes enclosed in a period wooden box titled simply Furo-ita. In the Japanese tea ceremony, the furo is the portable brazier used to heat water for tea. Its purpose and timing are closely tied to seasonality, aesthetics, and the philosophical rhythm of the tea year.
