Water jars (mizusashi) were used in the tea ceremony to hold fresh water to be boiled. The double-gourd shape of this jar was intentionally distorted and is reminiscent of the bold aesthetics of the tea ceremony of the Momoyama period (1573-1615). Such distorted shapes were frequently seen in Shigaraki ware, and here, the Kyoto potter seems to have faithfully copied the prototype, using the clay from the Shigaraki area.