16th century

Tea Leaf Storage Jar

Tea leaves that will be ground into powdered tea are stored in this kind of storage jar (chatsubo) from the time they are picked in spring until November or December. The kuchikiri tea ceremony celebrates the opening of a fresh jar of tea leaves. In the past, the host would grind the leaves into powder on the day of the gathering in order to have the freshest tea possible. Today, because practitioners typically purchase preground tea, these jars have a purely aesthetic use.