When the founder of the Urasenke style of tea ceremony, Senso Soshitsu (1622 -1697) was invited to Kanazawa as the lord of the tea ceremony for the powerful Kaga lords in 1666, the first Chozaemon came with him and established Ohi-yaki ware in Kanazawa. Chozaemon had been the chief apprentice for the Raku family in Kyoto and took with him many of the principles and ideas associated with Raku-ware...

We have a particular interest in beautiful old Raku tea bowls and spend quite a bit of time searching for exceptional examples to include in our gallery. Here we see a beautiful work that appears to be at least 200 years old and likely much older...

The term “Raku” was once reserved for a style of pottery produced by a specific household in Kyoto that began over 450 years ago. Over the years, as it gained popularity, several branch kilns were established (Ōhi, Tamamizu) and a number of other lineages arose making pieces in the style of Raku, though they were not formally associated with the Raku household...

Imagine the vista of iconic Mount Fuji as you enjoy a cup of matcha from this very special tea bowl...

A beautiful example of Ohi inspired Raku-ware; the body of this stylish tea vessel is a mix of a dark black gradating to charcoal grey with undertones of reddish maroon. A hasami-no-ato mark can be seen where the tongs were used to remove this piece from the kiln, and the potters mark can be seen near the foot of the bowl. Simple and refined, perfect for collectors and practitioners of tea alike.

Born into a generational line of tea-ware potters from Kanazawa, Fumiaki Kaihatsu (b...

This piece was fired in the kilns of one of Kyoto’s most prolific Raku-yaki workshops by an artist known as Heian Shoraku. In 1905, the first generation Shoraku established a kiln near the famous Kiyomizu temple, nestled at the foot of the eastern mountains in Kyoto. In 1945, the kiln was moved to Kameoka near Yada shrine where it remains today...

Crafted by one of the most well-known potting families from the Meiji period (Ito Tozan), this black Raku tea bowl displays a glossy sheen and gentle swells rippling through the clay body. The shape of the this tea bowl is known as “tsutsu” in Japanese and is regarded as being especially attractive. Tsutsu bowls are used mainly in the depths of winter to keep in the heat and prevent the tea from cooling too quickly...

A black Raku ceremonial tea bowl displaying an excellent patina bestowed by time. The light colored clay peeks through in areas giving this piece a unique feel. Though the box is signed by the artist known as Rakuen, details on this particular potter seem to be lost to time...

Comfortable in the hand and with a unique textured black Raku glaze, this tea bowl by 20th century potter Samukawa Seiho would make a fine addition for collector and practicing tea devotee alike.

Born in Osaka at the very end of the 19th century, at a young age his family moved to Kyoto where he would later take up an apprenticeship under well-known potter Sawada Sozan...

With a masterfully applied black Raku glaze and a noticeable aesthetic of austerity and stillness, this piece is what is refereed to in Japanese as an “utsushi” or what we might call in English a “tribute piece.” Such pieces are typically made by all Raku potters, regardless of the kiln and tradition, and seek to emulate famous works from the early masters over 400 years ago—in this case, a tea bowl created by the brother of the second Kichizaemon, Tanaka Somi, born sometim...

The term “tenmoku” (heavens eye) refers both to a shape of tea bowl popularized in the Song Dynasty dating back almost 1,000 years, and also to a style of glaze that these pieces are renowned for. In the case of tea bowls themselves, the troughs often have darker coloration with radiating colored rays and, depending on the style, often resemble the iris of a human eye...

Decriminalizations:
A Bronze Oil Lamp Sets was preserved in good patina.

Date: Early 20th century.

Height: 53cm

We offer a really rare kiseto ( yellow seto ware ) chawan from the Momoyama Period with tanpan marks ( copper green marks ).

It is a high fired ware from the end of the 16th. century in the Aburage-Hada style.

The early Kiseto glazes ( yellow Seto ) from the Muromachi period are considered to be attempts to emulate Chinese celadons from the Song dynasty...

This is an absolutely rare black Seto chawan ( setoguro chawan ) from the late Momoyama Period, which means the late 16th century or the changeover from Azuchi Momoyama to early Edo.

Blackish-brown glaze amalgamates with a wild and roughly thrown body. It is very heavy for a tea bowl, almost 500g. Please note that there is also an interesting kiln mark ( watch image number 3 )

Setoguro yaki is high-fired ware that originated in the late 16th century...

During the Meiji period there were only five potters ever to be awarded the prestigious designation of Imperial Court Artist: Ito Tozan, Seifu Yohei III, Miyagawa Kozan, Itaya Hazan, and the artist whose work is featured here, Suwa Sozan. This mizusashi for tea ceremony is made of the finest “kinuta” celadon that Sozan was well known for—having recreated and perfected the technique used by the Chinese Song Dynasty potters...

This peach-shaped suiteki (water dropper for calligraphy) is made of fine kinuta celadon from one of the great masters of the Meiji era—Suwa Sozan. A classic design, the peach is said to represent long-life for mortals and immortality for the gods in asian folklore. According to legend, the moon goddess—a powerful alchemist—can make an elixir from peaches that grow in the garden of the western paradise with miraculous revitalizing properties...

A charming akaraku chawan done by third generation potter Kato Ryusei. This piece was fired at the Akahiko Kama which has produced pottery in Aichi prefecture since 1956 and who have the distinction of being commissioned not only by the Showa Emperor and Empress but also by the later Heisei Emperor.

With a soft luminance and subtle charm, this piece would be an valued addition to the collection of any budding tea practitioner.

The bowl is 4.7 inches in diameter (12cm)...

Here we have a very unique ceremonial tea implement made by one of the most important figures from Japanese tea culture in the past century. While most tea scoops (chashaku) are made of bamboo, this piece is fashioned from the branch of a plum tree and retains part of the bark on the handle. Fashioned by the 14th Tea Master of Urasenke, this is a very rare and interesting implement.

Matcha tea culture in Japan stretches back nearly 1,000 years, when it was first brought to its shore...