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This fresh water ewer (suichū) may be used in sencha tea services for pouring water throughout the service, including adding water to the tea kettle and to the water pot, pouring water into the tea bowl, teapot, and water cooler (yuzamashi), and cooling the tea bowl and teapot.This ewer is exemplary of Aoki Mokubei's work as the "reviver" of Kyoto ceramics at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The elegant yet conservative profile and extremely subtle incised patterns under the clear glaze surface are characteristic of his Chinese-inspired approach. Mokubei was particularly noted for his embrace of Chinese traditions of porcelain making and his interest in infused tea (sencha) practice. This ewer is of the form that would have been used for wine, but it shares some of the characteristics of sencha utensils in its curved spout, thin-walled construction, and ornate lid. The glaze coating of the interior and exterior surfaces is also characteristic of Mokubei's beautiful, functional wares.