By the 16th century, Japanese ceramics were in great demand for use in both the tea ceremony andthe kaiseki meal served before the more formal type of tea ceremonies. In Japan, wood and lacquer had traditionally been used for dining, and the use of ceramics for the kaiseki meal and tea ceremony helped to spur their use in homes. Thesetwo tall, narrow dishes were used for serving eel and certain other side dishes during the kaiseki meal. Known as mukozuke because they were placed at the back of the serving tray, their shapes hid the tasty but unsightly treats.

These small dishes are examples of Karatsu ware, the ceramic produced near the city of Karatsu on the southern island of Kyushu. Karatsu wares have a refined stoneware body and a thin gray glaze. Pieces such as these two dishes that are painted with an iron-brown pigment are classified as Decorated or Painted Karatsu (e-garatsu). Bamboo is painted on the front of one of the dishes; water plantain decorates the other. Both have a pattern of overlapping triangles painted on the top part of their backs, which may reflect the impact of Mino wares on the decoration of Karatsu wares, since this design is also commonly found in Mino types.

The Karatsu kilns were founded around mid-16th century, probably by Lord Hata, the provincial ruler of Karatsu who had established strong trade contacts with Korea. It was in Karatsu where a multichambered climbing kiln and a kick-wheel were first used in Japan; these innovations reflect the impact of advanced Korean technology on Japanese ceramics.