This raku tea bowl by Shoraku Sasaki III has a ‘waist line’ that cuts across the middle of the bowl, which is the ideal place for thumbs to rest when holding the bowl. A tall foot-ring elevates the bowl to an easy-to-grasp height and has been left plain, without the covering of the thick black glaze. The lower half of the tea bowl features bold brush slashes in brown-gold.
The potter has taken the tea bowl and the box to the Shinju-an Temple in Kyoto (a sub-temple of Daitokuji Temple complex) where the underside of the wooden box lid was inscribed with a saying or mei by one of the chief monks, Mr. Seiko Sukumoto.
The inscription on the lid says: ‘Kojitsu – a good day.’
Indeed, we think it is a good day whenever we find ourselves holding a chawan with delicious matcha. This tea bowl is a worthy addition to a tea bowl collection or as a fine gift for a Chanoyu devotee.
Please Note:
This is a handmade item – slight variations in the painting, colors, tooling, patterning and kiln effects of Chinese and Japanese teawares are to be expected. We have carefully photographed this item as best as possible – please be aware that different device screens can render colors and subtle tones slightly differently.