Korean Gohon Kyōgen-Bakama Chawan

Name: Korean Gohon Kyōgen-Bakama Chawan
Brand: Karaku Kiln
SKU: US-M443
Price: 198.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Karaku Kiln

$198.00

This Korean gohon chawan (matcha bowl) has a classic wan-nari shape, covered in a transparent glaze that brings out the striking gohon effect. The bowl is further decorated using the mishima slip inlay technique with a traditional motif called kyōgen-bakama (狂言袴 - kyōgen pants), which consists of an encircled flower, reminiscent of the crests found on the pants of kyōgen performers, hence the name.

In modern usage, gohon or gohonte (御本・御本手) typically refers to an array of pink or white spots against a grey or beige background. This effect typically occurs within the clay itself as bubbles or imperfections within the clay rise to the surface in the kiln. It gets its name from the order forms and catalogue books (御本 - gohon) that tea masters used in the Azuchi-Momoyama period to order tea bowls from potters and kilns in Korea. Many of those gohon chawan (御本茶碗) had these spots, hence the name gohonte. They often appear on many other Korean chawan styles, especially kohiki and totoya chawan.

Due to the handmade nature of teaware and naturalistic aesthetic of Korean ceramics, subtle variation in colour, texture, and size is to be expected.

This chawan was made by Karaku Kiln and comes with a paulownia wood box (kiribako - 桐箱) signed by the artist.

Korean ceramics have been treasured for use in the Japanese tea ceremony since the 1500s. However, the styles of Korean bowls that became desirable in Japan were not ones that were considered praiseworthy in Korea, where by the 16th century, the elite were using pure white porcelain. Instead, Japan favoured imperfect stoneware styles, some of which now fall under the category of Buncheong ware. Most of these bowls were not designed for use in chanoyu but were general rice or food bowls. The practice of adapting non-tea objects into the tea ceremony is called mitate and has long been a part of chanoyu.

Starting around the 1590s, tea masters in Japan would send designs to the Korean kilns around Busan and place orders for custom-made chawan. Some of these bowls were continuations of the original styles, while others were new creations. Around the same time, some Korean potters were brought to Japan and started kilns, such as Hagi and Karatsu, and continued to produce Korean-style wares.

Today, most Korean-style chawan are made in Japan, but there are still potters in Korea continuing or reviving traditional ceramic traditions.

In modern usage, gohon or gohonte (御本・御本手) typically refers to an array of pink or white spots against a grey or beige background. This effect typically occurs within the clay itself as bubbles or imperfections within the clay rise to the surface in the kiln. It gets its name from the order forms and catalogue books (御本 - gohon) that tea masters used in the Azuchi-Momoyama period to order tea bowls from potters and kilns in Korea. Many of those gohon chawan (御本茶碗) had these spots, hence the name gohonte. They often appear on many other Korean chawan styles, especially kohiki and totoya chawan.

Karaku Kiln (駕洛窯), located in Muan, South Korea, is headed by fourth generation potter Shimizu Hisashi (清水久嗣) who took over in 2006 and also operates his family's main kiln, Rakuzan Kiln (楽山窯) in Mie Prefecture (Banko-yaki). Shimizu-san was born in Yokkaichi, Mie, studied art and design in the US, before retuning to Japan to study pottery under his father, and then travelled to Korea to further his studies. He is a member of the Enshū-ryū school of Japanese tea ceremony, which values the kirei-sabi (elegant rusticity - 綺麗さび) aesthetics of Korean teaware.

Shimizu-san's great-grandfather was the first Banko potter to incorporate Korean styles into their work, and his father furthered this practice by travelling to Korea to study pottery, research Joseon-era ceramic materials and techniques, and eventually setup some kilns. Today, Shimizu-san produces Korean-style chawan in Japan at Rakuzan Kiln and also produces Korean chawan in Korea at Karaku Kiln.