This gorgeous chawan (matcha bowl) is made in the Katade (堅手 - strong hand) style of kōrai chawan (高麗茶碗 - Korean tea bowls). Like many katade chawan, it has a rounded shape with a flared lip, and sports a soft white translucent glaze with small black iron spots. This chawan was made by 有作作.
Once damaged, this chawan has been repaired with traditional kintsugi that has been gold powdered on the outside, but left in its original black urushi lacquer on the inside. Areas where more lacquer has been applied have been decorated with mother of pearl inlays.
Kintsugi (金継ぎ - gold joinery) is a ceramic repair technique in which chips, cracks, and broken pieces are repaired with urushi lacquer, which is either mixed or dusted with precious metal powder, typically gold or silver. Rather than hiding the damage, the use of precious metals highlights the flaws, which tells the story of the item’s wear and repair over time, and ties into the Buddhist concept of mushin (無心 - no mind) which embraces such imperfection.
The technique and philosophy of kintsugi has long been associated with chanoyu (茶の湯) or the Japanese tea ceremony, where it has been used on many famous pieces. The earliest examples were often repaired with simple black or red urushi lacquer, which is less ornate and more wabi or humble. Though the technique of lacquer repair dates as far back as the Jomon period, it was supposedly first introduced to the tea room by Furuta Oribe (古田織部) in the late 16th to early 17th century.
Dimensions:
14.5cm (5.7in) - width
8.1cm (3.2in) - height
400ml - capacity
Condition: Very good
This vintage Japanese item ships from Thailand
