Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/345

 The story of a tea-jar, known among Japanese amateurs as Funrin Cha-tsubo, illustrates his love of objects of art. There lived in Ōsaka a wealthy brewer of saké, named Sōtan, a native of Chikuzen. He was in the habit of sending a clerk to China, from time to time, to transact business. This clerk fell in love with a Chinese courtesan—in what part of China there is no record—and having squandered a large sum of money belonging to his master, found himself barely able to make his way home. At parting, the woman presented to him a tea-jar reputed to be of great value. The clerk, in turn, presented the tea-jar to Sōtan, who was so delighted with the specimen that he forgave his employé's misdeeds and restored him to his former office. By-and-by Kuroda Nagamasa saw the tea-jar, and would fain have become its possessor; but the brewer refused to part with it. Subsequently the Taikō also tried to obtain it. Sōtan, however, remained obstinate. In the spring of the following year the brewer gave a tea réunion, at which the Taikō and Kuroda were both present. During the entertainment Hideyoshi, beckoning to his host, left the room, followed by Kuroda. Sōtan seems to have known what was coming, for when the Taikō accosted him, saying, "Of all your treasures, Sōtan, there is one only that I covet," he at once drew the tea-jar from his bosom, and replied: "Here is the object of your thoughts, my lord. Since it has attracted such honourable attention, I will present it to my chief Kuroda." It is related that Kuroda had a triple case made for the tea-jar, and that he appointed fifteen officials, all of whom were held responsible for its safety. That the keramic industry of Chikuzen should have flourished under the patron-