Kyoto Ware Zodiac Tea Bowl (Eto Chawan), Year of the Monkey — Monkey on an Ema with Pine, Bamboo and Plum

This Kyoto-ware (Kyō-yaki) matcha bowl is an eto chawan (干支茶碗), a zodiac tea bowl made to celebrate the New Year of a particular zodiac year, here the Year of the Monkey (申, saru). Tea practitioners traditionally use such bowls at hatsugama, the first tea gathering of the New Year, so the imagery is festive and auspicious throughout.

The central scene is framed as an ema, the wooden votive plaque offered at Shinto shrines. It has a pentagonal shape with a black-lacquered roof, horizontal wood grain picked out in gold, and gold cords ending in tassels that trail across the bowl. On the plaque sits a monkey, cross-legged in a white robe and deep purple hakama, holding a white zigzag paper wand (gohei). His tall black hat with a red roundel recalls the costume of Sanbasō, the auspicious dance performed at New Year and on celebratory occasions. Monkeys also have a long association with horses in Japanese folk belief as their guardians, and horses were the original subject of ema, so the pairing is apt.

Around the plaque are young pine, bamboo leaves, and red and white plum blossoms. Together they form shōchikubai (松竹梅), the classic trio of New Year good fortune. The painting uses overglaze enamels in green, turquoise, red, white, black and aubergine, outlined in gold. A band of warm brown brushwork and a soft pink blush circle the lower body.

The bowl has a deep wan-nari form with gently tapering walls and visible throwing rings, finished with an iron-brown rim. The ivory glaze carries a fine allover crackle (kannyū). Inside, a pink blush pools in the well, which colours prettily against whisked green tea. The foot ring is unglazed buff clay with a trimmed spiral inside, and an impressed potter's seal sits on the lower wall.

Details:

• Origin: Kyoto, Japan — Kyō-yaki

• Type: Eto chawan (zodiac tea bowl), Year of the Monkey

• Maker: Impressed potter's seal (unread)

• Form: Matcha tea bowl, deep wan-nari shape with visible throwing rings

• Glaze: Ivory crackle glaze, pink blush in the well and on the lower body, iron-brown rim

• Decoration: Overglaze enamel and gold. A monkey in Sanbasō-style hat holding a gohei on an ema votive plaque with tasselled cords, surrounded by pine, bamboo and red and white plum.

• Base: Unglazed buff clay foot with trimmed spiral

• Box: Fabric-covered brocade box with bone toggle clasps and yellow satin lining

• Condition: Good vintage/secondhand condition. A few small dark iron specks in the glaze, typical of the clay. Please see photos for any wear beyond the characteristic crackle.

• Dimensions: (D) approx. 12 cm x (H) approx. 7.3 cm