Vintage Japanese Matcha Powder Container - 1970s Showa Era (25D-017-2)

Vintage Japanese Matcha Powder Container, Showa Era (SKU 25D-017-2)

Hand-thrown ceramic natsume with bold mid-century glaze and original tomobako storage box.

This vintage Japanese matcha powder container is a charming example of Showa-era studio pottery, created as a small chaire or natsume for storing finely ground tea. The vessel is wheel-thrown with a softly faceted body, finished in a rich, glassy green glaze at the shoulder that melts into warm, earthy browns below, evoking wooded hillsides seen through mist. Over the lower register, the potter has brushed abstract white and black motifs that recall hanging tanzaku or festival ornaments, giving the piece a playful, modernist character while remaining firmly rooted in tea-ceremony aesthetics.

The container comes complete with its fitted ivory-toned lid, patterned silk brocade pouch (shifuku) and signed wooden storage box (tomobako), underscoring its role as a proper utensil for the Japanese tea ceremony. Whether used practically to hold matcha powder or displayed as a compact work of art, this piece offers a distinctive blend of rustic glaze work and graphic design that will appeal to collectors of Showa ceramics and lovers of wabi-sabi interiors alike.

• Origin: Japan
• Era: Showa period (vintage)
• Material: Glazed stoneware with ceramic lid; silk brocade pouch; wooden tomobako
• Use: Matcha powder container (chaire/natsume) for Japanese tea ceremony or decorative display
• Features: Hand-thrown body with faceted form; layered green and brown glaze; abstract white-and-black painted motifs; original silk shifuku; signed wooden storage box (tomobako)
• Dimensions: 2 1/4" Diameter x 4"H
• Condition: Excellent

A refined yet playful vintage chaire that brings authentic Japanese tea-ceremony character to any collection.

We use professional studio lighting to highlight the natural character of the wood. As a result, the tone may appear slightly warmer than under natural daylight.

All vintage and antique items are sold as-is. Each piece may exhibit signs of age, including scratches, wear, or minor imperfections. These are not considered defects but natural evidence of the item’s authenticity and age.