A ceramic water-dropper from the Early Edo period (early 17th century) modeled on a foreign barbarian (nanbanjin 南蛮人, or European) was discovered in June (2010) at Okita site 1 (沖田Ⅰ遺跡) in Kitanaraoka (北楢岡), Daisen city, Akita prefecture.
Image taken from article (see below)
A water-dropper, or suiteki (水滴), was an implement used to dribble a small amount of water onto an inkstone when grinding an inkstick in order to produce a pool of ink. You can see the hole on its right shoulder where you would pour the water out; hidden from view is the other hole behind its left shoulder, in which you would fill it with water. It sports a hat, a frilled decoration worn about the neck, and what looks like a shirt with a row of buttons. It measures 6.5 centimeters tall and its base is 4 centimeters wide.
No such items are recorded as having turned up during previous Akita prefecture digs, but they have turned up here and there at the Sendai Castle ruins and in Sakai city, Osaka prefecture.
It is an example of Oribe-yaki (織部焼, or Oribe ware), which hails from old Mino province (southern Gifu prefecture). It appeared together with ceramic plates and bowls at the site of an old well, along a tributary that once flowed into the Omonogawa river (雄物川). Researchers suspect that the river may have been an active junction for the loading and unloading of goods.
南蛮人モチーフの陶器出土 大仙市北楢岡
大仙市北楢岡字沖田の沖田Ⅰ遺跡から、南蛮人をモチーフにした江戸時代初期の人形型水滴が出土し、市文化財保護課が専門家に照会して来歴などを調べている。帽子をかぶり、襟にひだ状の円形飾り。鼻が高く彫りの深い顔立ちなど異国情緒が表現されている。同課などによると、似たような出土品は県内では確認されておらず、仙台城跡や大阪府堺市などでわずかに見つかっている。水滴は高さ６・５センチ、底幅４ センチ。美濃地方（岐阜県南部）が主産地の織部焼で、すずりに水を注ぐ容器として使われた。人形の左肩後ろに水の注入口があり、右肩の穴から注ぐ仕組み。 鼻の穴やとがったあごなど顔部分が特に精巧に作られている。水滴は今年６月、圃場整備に伴う市の発掘調査で、井戸跡から皿やわんなどの陶器とともに出土。弘前大の関根達人教授（４４）＝考古学＝の鑑定で、約 ４００年前の織部焼であることが判明した。出土場所は、かつて雄物川に注いでいた支流沿い。同課が河川交通による物資集散の場だったのかなどを調査してい る。（2010/11/16 13:45 更新）http://www.sakigake.jp/p/akita/news.jsp?kc=20101116i
(Article retrieved 2010/11/23)
