Shōraku Kiln Kuro-Raku Chawan — Incised Pine Forest Band, with Wooden Box

This black Raku tea bowl (kuro-raku chawan) comes from the Shōraku kiln (Shōraku-gama, 松楽窯), run by the Sasaki family in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture. The kiln works in the Raku tradition, the style of tea ware that developed in Kyoto in the late 16th century around the tea master Sen no Rikyū. Raku bowls are traditionally shaped by hand rather than thrown on the wheel. They are fired at relatively low temperatures and removed from the kiln while still hot, which gives the clay a light, soft body that holds the warmth of the tea and sits gently in the hands.

The bowl is covered in a deep, glossy black glaze with a finely pitted surface, typical of black Raku. A wide band of pale straw-gold glaze wraps around the middle of the body, and within it the potter has incised a row of pine trees, their trunks and branching needles cut into the clay beneath the glaze. The black glaze flows down over the tops of the trees and wraps around their bases, so the band reads like a pine forest glimpsed between dark earth and night sky. The pine is a traditional symbol of longevity and constancy in Japanese art, and it is also the first character (松) of the kiln's name.

The form is gently squared, with softly undulating walls and a rim that rises and dips around the circumference, a quiet asymmetry valued in Raku tea bowls. Inside, the black glaze is smooth and deep, with a subtle blue-violet iridescence in the well (chadamari) that catches the light when the bowl is tilted.

The low foot is also covered in black glaze, with a spiral trimming mark and a small raised point at its centre. A few small pale marks around the foot ring are consistent with the supports used in firing. The bowl comes in its original wooden storage box (tomobako) with a yellow cord.

Details:

• Origin: Raku ware, Shōraku kiln (松楽窯), Sasaki family, Kameoka, Kyoto

• Form: Matcha chawan, hand-formed, gently squared form with undulating rim

• Clay: Soft, lightweight Raku body

• Glaze: Glossy black Raku glaze with blue-violet iridescence inside; a pale straw-gold glaze band around the body

• Decoration: Incised pine tree forest motif within the pale band

• Base: Glazed foot with trimming spiral and small raised centre; small firing marks around the foot ring

• Condition: Good secondhand condition. Pitting and texture in the glaze are characteristic of Raku. Please see photos for any chips or wear

• Includes: Original wooden box (tomobako) with cord. The chasen (bamboo whisk) is shown for scale and styling and is not included

• Dimensions: (Ø) 11.8cm x (H) approx. 8.8cm