This chawan (matcha bowl) is an utsushi (写 - replica) of a 17th century Goki e-gohon chawan (呉器 絵御本 茶碗) from Korea that is currently housed in the Fujita Museum. Lacking a poetic name, it is referred to as 絵半使割高台茶碗.

Goki refers to its shape, which is deep, and with a tall, flared, and notched foot. Gohon, or gohonte refers to chawan that were ordered from Korea by Japanese teaists, which often sported a spotted glaze effect, which also bears the name gohonte. The rustic branch decoration is painted with an iron underglaze in a technique called tetsu-e (鉄絵). 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.

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:

13cm (5.1in) - width
8.8cm (3.5in) - height
300ml - capacity

Condition: Very good

This vintage Japanese item ships from Thailand