The Way of Tea: Chawans and Ceremony Utensils

This collection celebrates the spirit of the Japanese tea ceremony through a curated selection of Chawan (tea bowls) and traditional utensils used in Chanoyu.

At its center are the Chawans—vessels made not just for function, but for quiet contemplation. From rustic Raku to refined Shino and Hagi forms, each bowl is shaped by the hand of the maker and guided by the philosophy of wabi-sabi: imperfect, intimate, and deeply human. Their glazes, textures, and proportions are meant to be held, observed, and experienced.

Complementing the tea bowls are essential ceremonial implements: water jars (mizusashi), bamboo ladles (hishaku), and lacquered caddies—each one playing a vital role in the silent choreography of the tea ritual. Together, these objects offer a glimpse into a world where beauty is found in stillness, gesture, and presence.

Kuro-Oribe "Hidden Christian" Tea Bowl Late Momoyama Period (Keichō Era, c. 1596–1615)

Object Number: #JCB438
Title: Kuro-Oribe "Hidden Christian" Tea Bowl Late Momoyama Period (Keichō Era, c. 1596–1615)
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Momoyama period (1573–1615)
Date: Early 17th century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Stoneware with iron-black glaze (Mino ware, black Oribe type)
Dimensions: D: 15.2cm D: 12.0cm H: 8.0cm
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note:A definitive example of the Kuro-Oribe style, this bowl displays the intentional kutsugata (shoe-shaped) deformation and lustrous hikidashi black glaze typical of the Mino kilns.

E-Shino "Musashino" Kutsugata Tea Bowl

Object Number: #JCB5
Title: E-Shino "Musashino" Kutsugata Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Momoyama Period, Keicho Era
Date: Late 16th – Early 17th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Mino ware, Shino type
Dimensions: D: 13.3 x 11.4cm. H: 9.0cm.
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: An important example of Keicho-Shino ware (Momoyama Period), this bowl features the avant-garde Kutsugata (shoe-shaped) distortion characteristic of the Oribe style. Crafted from high-purity Mogusa clay, the unglazed foot displays deep hi-iro (fire color) beneath a thick feldspathic glaze with distinct yuzu-hada (citron skin) texture. The underglaze iron decoration depicts the classical "Musashino" (Autumn Grasses) motif. As a Densei-hin (heirloom), it retains the pristine, wet luster of its original firing, free from the degradation of excavation. With a wooden tomobako storage box and Shifuku.

Edo Period Chawan (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB111
Title: Edo Period Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 17th-18th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Hagi ware
Dimensions: D: 13.3cm. H: 9.0cm.
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the antique wooden tomobako storage box and Shifuku.

Gohon Tachizuru Crane Standing Chawan

Object Number: # JCB437
Title: Kenzan-Style Cylindrical Tea Bowl with Standing Crane and Poem (Tachizuru-zu San Tsutsu-chawan / 立鶴図賛筒茶碗)
Place of Origin: Kyoto, Japan (京都)
Artist: Kenzan Lineage / Kenzan School (乾山派)
Period: Late Edo Period (江戸後期)
Date: 19th Century
Materials: Soft-paste earthenware (Kyō-yaki / 京焼), feldspathic glaze, iron oxide pigment, polychrome enamels
Style or Ware: Kenzan Ware (乾山焼), Rimpa Style (琳派), Tsutsu-chawan (筒茶碗)
Dimensions: -D: 9.2cm. H: 9.4cm.
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: This tsutsu-chawan (筒茶碗) merges a 17th-century Korean Gohon (御本 / 오혼) form with Kyoto Rimpa(琳派) aesthetics. Potted from soft-paste Kyō-yaki (京焼), its cream glaze exhibits deep kannyū (貫入 / crazing) and rich amamori (雨漏 / tea staining) from historic chanoyu (茶の湯) use. The exterior features an iron oxide and enamel Standing Crane (Tachizuru / 立鶴) in swift haiga (俳画) brushstrokes, accompanied by a cursive (sōsho / 草書) poem referencing the auspicious "Pine of a Thousand Years" (千歳の松). An impressed "Kenzan" (乾山) seal identifies it as a 19th-century lineage homage, comparable to works in the Freer Gallery and Miho Museum.

Edo period Kawakujira-style Shallow Tea Bowl (皮鯨平茶碗)

Object Number: # JCB165
Title: Kawakujira-style Shallow Tea Bowl (皮鯨平茶碗)
Place of Origin: Japan (日本)
Artist: Unknown
Period: Edo Period (江戸時代)
Date: 18th – 19th Century
Materials: Stoneware with ash glaze and iron-oxide rim (陶器 Tōki)
Style or Ware: Kawakujira-de (皮鯨手)
Dimensions: D: 15.8 cm H: 5.9 cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: This Edo-period shallow summer tea bowl (hira-jawan 平茶碗) features a dark, iron-rich stoneware body (tsuchi-aji 土味) at the unglazed foot (kōdai 高台). This contrasts with a thick, yellowish-cream ash glaze exhibiting a dense crackle network (kannyū 貫入). The rim is defined by an iron-oxide band in the Kawakujira (皮鯨, "whale skin") style. The interior well (chadamari 茶だまり) displays five distinct spur marks (meato 目跡) from stack-firing in a climbing kiln (noborigama 登り窯).
Note: This vessel represents Japanese Edo-period domestic production, likely functioning as either orthodox Kyushu Karatsu ware (唐津焼) or a highly refined Seto homage (utsushi 写し). The accompanying box inscription ("甲申夏五月求") suggests an 1884 (Meiji 17) acquisition, aligning with historical temple releases (寺院放出品).

Raku Chawan Edo Period

Object Number: #JCB224
Title: Edo Period Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Atributed to the 9th-Generation Raku master Ryonyu (1756-1834)
Period: Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 18 Century.
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Raku ware.
Dimensions: Diam.: 9.5cm. Height: 8.0cm.
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the Original signed antique wooden tomobako storage box. With and old gold Kintsugi.

Joseon Dynasty Hakeme Iraho Chawan

Object Number: #KCB435
Title: Hakeme Iraho Chawan (Brushed-Slip Iraho Tea Bowl - 刷毛目伊羅保茶碗)
Place of Origin: Korea (Joseon Dynasty - 조선)
Artist: Unknown (Joseon Potter)
Period: Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897) / Japanese Edo Period Context
Date: 17th Century
Materials: Highly refractory sandy stoneware with brushed white slip (hakeme / gwiyal - 귀얄) and yellowish-brown iron ash glaze.
Style or Ware: Kōrai Chawan (高麗茶碗), Iraho type (伊羅保).
Dimensions: - D: 14.5cm H: 6.4 cm
Department: Korean Ceramics
Collection: Korean Collection
Description: A superlative, textbook example of an Iraho tea bowl, a celebrated category of Kōrai chawan revered in Japanese chanoyu. Potted from the characteristically rough, sandy, and iron-rich stoneware clay that gives Iraho its name, the bowl's surface is punctuated by bursting feldspar granules (ishihaze - 石爆ぜ) that create a rich visual landscape (kei - 景). The conical body features sharp, rapid wheel marks (rokuro-me - ロクロ目) and is finished with a delicate bebera-style undulating rim (ベベラ状の口造り). The interior is swept with a dynamic application of white slip (hakeme - 刷毛目), which pools into the central well beneath a tightly crackled yellowish-brown glaze. The deeply weathered (kaseta - カセた) and roughly carved foot (kodai - 高台) provides physical evidence of its long transmission (densei - 伝世) among tea practitioners.
Note: The bowl is accompanied by its custom paulownia wood box (tomobako - 共箱) bearing the label "Hakeme Iraho Chawan," a bespoke suite of silver-grey (gin-nezu) silk pouches (shifuku - 仕覆) featuring an auspicious interlocking tortoiseshell (kikkō - 亀甲) geometric motif, and a highly detailed curatorial appraisal confirming it meets all strict aesthetic conventions (yakusokugoto - 約束事) of the Iraho classification.

Edo Period Oribe Chawan (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB533
Title: Edo Period Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 17th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Mino Ware Narumi - Oribe
Dimensions: D: 15.6cm. x 12cm. 6.14Inches x 4.62Inches H: 8.0cm. 3.14Inches
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the antique wooden tomobako storage box and Shifuku.

Edo Period Tosa Ko-Odo Hai-kaburi Chawan (土州尾土焼灰被茶椀)

Object Number: #JCB127
Title: Tosa Ko-Odo Hai-kaburi Chawan (土州尾土焼灰被茶椀)
Place of Origin: Odo Kiln, Tosa Province (modern-day Kochi Prefecture), Japan
Artist: Attributed to the Kyūtoku Family or Morita Family (Official Potters to the Tosa Clan)
Period: Early to Mid-Edo Period
Date: Circa 1680–1750
Materials: High-iron stoneware with natural wood-ash glaze
Style or Ware: Goyo-Odo (Official Lord's Ware) / Wabi-cha Aesthetic
Dimensions: D: 12.0 cm H: 7.5 cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: A masterful tea bowl exhibiting the "rugged traditionalist" style of the Tosa Clan's official kiln. The exterior is characterized by a dramatic, scorched landscape of carbon-trapped dark tones and deep "volcanic" pitting caused by the high-heat vitrification of natural ash glaze. The unglazed foot (kodai) reveals the rich, earthy Tosa clay and features a hand-carved chijimi texture.
Note: This piece was produced exclusively for the Yamanouchi Lords and was never intended for the commercial market, accounting for its lack of a potter's mark and its extreme rarity. Authentic paulownia tomobako featuring a traditional slip-lid construction, vital for preserving the chawan's microclimate. Formal vertical calligraphy identifying the piece as "Doshū Odo-yaki Chawan," providing definitive historical authentication of its Tosa clan-kiln provenance.

Edo period Hagi Bowl (1603-1868)

Object Number: #
Title: Edo period Hagi yaki, Ido high-footed Chawan Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 18th - 19th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Hagi Yaki
Dimensions: H: 8.1cm D: 12.5cm
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the antique wooden box Tomobako. The Tomobako inscription identifies the piece as Hagi Kōdai Chawan. Clay, glaze, and age characteristics are consistent with authentic late Edo–Meiji Hagi ware. A refined Hagi-yaki tea bowl distinguished by its tall, well-balanced kōdai and soft milky glaze. The surface displays deep natural crazing and scattered iron freckles, hallmarks of traditional Hagi ware influenced by Korean Joseon aesthetics. Interior patination indicates long historical use in the tea ceremony. The rough, iron-rich foot and sandy Hagi clay support an attribution to late Edo to early Meiji production.

Heian-Kamakura period, Yama Bowl

Object Number: #JCB483
Title: Heian-Kamakura period, 9th-13th century Yama-Chawan.
A Sanage Kiln "Mountain tea bowl".
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Heian-Kamakura period, 9th-13th century
Date: Heian-Kamakura Period, 9th-13th century Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Seto ware.
A Sanage Kiln "Mountain tea bowl"
Dimensions: D: 16.8x15.8cm H: 5.6x4.6cm
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the wooden tomobako storage box. A Sanage Kiln "Mountain tea bowl", With the natural glaze.

Buncheong Bowl with White Slip-brushed Design Joseon Dynasty

Object Number: KCB591
Title: Korean Buncheong Slip-Brushed Bowl
Culture: Korea
Period: Joseon Dynasty
Date: 15th–16th Century
Material: Stoneware with white slip and transparent glaze
Dimensions: D: 16.4 - 14.3cm H: 7.5cm
Kiln: Provincial Buncheong ware kiln (likely Gyeongsang or Chungcheong region)
Collection: Korean Ceramics
Description:
A finely weathered buncheong bowl formed from coarse, iron-rich Korean clay and decorated with broad, energetic strokes of white slip. The interior displays natural crackle, firing pinholes, and an expressive circular brush pattern, while the exterior retains traces of slip in irregular horizontal sweeps typical of early Joseon folk kilns. The slightly ovalized rim and low, trimmed foot reflect the spontaneous, utilitarian character of daily ware from this period. A textbook example of authentic early buncheong aesthetics.

Tenmoku Tea Bowl with Hare’s-Fur Glaze

Object Number: #CCB535
Title: Tenmoku Tea Bowl with Hare’s-Fur Glaze
Period: Song dynasty (960–1279)
Date: 12th century
Culture: China
Medium: Stoneware with copper-oxide glaze (Jian ware)
Dimensions: D: 12.5cm. 4.92Inches H: 8.0cm

Edo Period Oribe Tea Bowl

Object Number: #JCB225
Title: Edo Period Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 17th-18th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Narumi - Oribe
Dimensions: D: 14cm. x 11cm. H: 6.5cm.
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the antique wooden tomobako storage box. Slightly distorted shoe shaped (kutsugata) tea bowl.

Edo Period Mishima Karatsu Kutsugata Tea Bowl (三島唐津沓形茶碗)

Edo Period Mishima Karatsu Chawan (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB33
Title: Edo Period Mishima Karatsu Kutsugata Tea Bowl (三島唐津沓形茶碗)
Place of Origin: Takeo Kilns, Hizen Province, Japan (日本)
Artist: Unknown (無銘)
Period: Edo Period (江戸時代, 1603-1868)
Date: 17th – 18th Century
Materials: Iron-rich stoneware with white slip inlay and ash glaze (陶器)
Style or Ware: Mishima Karatsu (三島唐津)
Dimensions: D: 14.0 x 12.0 cm. H: 8.0 cm.
Department: Japanese Art
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: An Edo period Mishima Karatsu tea bowl exhibiting a deliberate kutsugata (沓形, shoe-shape) deformation. Potted from dark, iron-rich clay, the exterior features highly precise Mishima (三島) slip-inlay in the koyomi-de (暦手, calendar) style. This includes tight geometric zig-zags (sankaku-mon 三角文), stamped floral motifs (hana-mon 花文), and a lower cross-hatched net register (amime-mon 網目文). The interior presents a swift, spontaneous hakeme (刷毛目) slip brushmark. The vessel rests on a powerfully carved, unglazed wari-godai (割高台, split footring) and is covered in a finely crackled, translucent ash glaze with historical tea patina.Accompanied by an antique wooden storage box .(tomobako 供箱).

Yatsushiro Ware Slip-Inlaid Tea Bowl with Cloud and Crane

Object Number: #JCB600
Title: Yatsushiro Ware Slip-Inlaid Tea Bowl with Cloud and Crane Motif and Kintsugi Repair
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown (Yatsushiro / Kōda Kilns / 八代焼 / 高田窯)
Period: Edo Period (江戸時代)
Date: 18th–19th Century
Materials: Ferruginous stoneware, white slip inlay (白化粧土), oxidized celadon glaze, urushi lacquer, gold powder (kintsugi / 金継ぎ)
Style or Ware: Yatsushiro-yaki (八代焼) / Unkaku Zōgan (雲鶴象嵌)
Dimensions: - D: 13.0cm H: 7.5cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: Edo-period Yatsushiro ware tea bowl (chawan / 茶碗) displaying slip-inlaid (zōgan / 象嵌) flying crane (tsuru / 鶴) and cloud (kumo / 雲) motifs. The iron-rich clay features an oxidized, heavily crackled (kannyū / 貫入) yellowish-olive celadon glaze. The foot ring (koudai / 高台) exhibits a central spiral (tokin / 兜巾) characteristic of Kyushu wheel trimming. Historical stress lines are stabilized with master-level gold lacquer repair (kintsugi / 金継ぎ), elevating the bowl's visual landscape (keshiki / 景色) for the tea ceremony (chanoyu / 茶の湯). Similar 18th-century unkaku inlaid Yatsushiro pieces can be found in the collections of the Kyushu National Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Note: The original wooden box (tomobako / 共箱) inscription reads "進上" (Shinjō - to present) and the surname "高橋" (Takahashi), indicating historical use as a formal presentation gift within samurai society.

Joseon Dynasty Unkaku Tea Bowl (1392 – 1897)

Object Number: #KCB576
Title: Joseon Dynasty Unkaku Tea Bowl (1392 – 1897) Place of Origin: Korea
Artist: Unknown
Period: Goryeo to Joseon Dynasty
Date:
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Stoneware with white inlay under celadon glaze
Dimensions: D: 12.0cm H: 8.0 cm
Department: Korean
Art Collection: Korean Ceramics.
Note: With an antique Gold Kinstugi. The term Unkaku is Japanese, meaning "Cloud and Crane". This motif often symbolizes longevity, elegance, and transcendence in East Asian art. The crane (especially paired with clouds) is a classic symbol in Korean and Japanese culture, often associated with peace and spiritual grace.

Edo Period Seto Nogime Tenmoku Tea Bowl with Silver Rim

Object Number: #CCB481
Title: Late Edo Period Seto Nogime Tenmoku Tea Bowl with Silver Rim (Gin-pukurin)
Origin: Japan, Seto Kilns (Aichi Prefecture)
Period: Late Edo Period (c. 19th Century)
Dimensions: Diameter 12.0 cm / Height 6.5 cm
Material: Iron-rich Stoneware
Glaze: Iron-Black with Nogime (Hare’s Fur) Striations
Mounting: Authentic Silver Rim (Gin-pukurin)
Classification: Tenmoku Utsushi (Reverent Reproduction of Jian Ware) Produced at the Seto kilns during the Late Edo period, this formal stoneware tea bowl serves as a high-level utsushi(reverent reproduction) of Song Dynasty Jian ware. The vessel is coated in a lustrous iron-black glaze featuring distinct Nogime (Hare's Fur) crystallization, where silvery-blue and amber striations cascade from the rim and terminate in a controlled "curtain" effect above the foot. A fitted silver rim (Gin-pukurin) frames the vessel, elevating it to a formal rank within the Chanoyu tradition, while the precisely carved ring foot (wa-kodai) and fine-grained dark clay body confirm its sophisticated 19th-century craftsmanship.

Edo Period Hagi Ware: Mishima Style with Stamped Flower Motif

Object Number: JCK588
Title: Hagi-Mishima "Hidden Cross" Tea Bowl (Hana-Mishima)
Culture: Japanese
Period:Edo Period (1603–1867)
Date: 18th Century
Region/Kiln: Hagi Ware (Hagi-yaki), Choshu Domain (modern Yamaguchi Prefecture)
Technique: Stoneware with white slip inlay (zogan), stamped decoration, and ash glaze
Dimensions: H: 6.8cm; D: 16.5 cm
A Hagi ware tea bowl featuring the Koyomide (Almanac) inlay and a signature kera (notched foot). The central stamped character, Hana (Flower - 花), serves as a camouflaged symbol: the distinct "cross" radical (艹) identifies this as a Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christian) devotional object. Positioned in the tea pool, this mark allowed for a private, obscured act of communion during the Edo period's strict anti-Christian edicts, effectively hiding the Cross within a seasonal motif.

Early Edo period Kuro Oribe Teabowl with Bridge Motif (c. 1615–1650)

Early Edo Shino-Oribe Teabowl with Bridge Motif (c. 1615–1650)

Object Number: #JCB1
Title: Kuro Oribe Tea Bowl with Bridge and Water Motif (黒織部橋水文茶碗)
Place of Origin: Mino Province, Japan (美濃国)
Artist: Unknown (Mino Kilns)
Period: Early Edo Period (江戸時代初期)
Date: Early 17th Century (c. 1615–1650)
Materials: Stoneware, black iron glaze, white feldspathic glaze, iron underglaze
Style or Ware: Mino Ware (美濃焼), Shino-Oribe / Kuro-Oribe Hybrid
Dimensions: D: 14.7 cm x 12.7 cm; H: 6.0 cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: A canonical example of the kutsuwa-gata (shoe-shaped) form, this vessel serves as a benchmark for the transitional aesthetics of the early 17th century. It features a sophisticated interplay between a deep, saturated black iron glaze and a designated white window (mado) containing a confident, gestural iron-oxide bridge motif. The unglazed foot ring displays textbook Mogusa clay characteristics, including natural "citron skin" (yuzuhada) pitting and authentic glaze crawling (kairagi), confirming its period production. Preserved with a custom yellow brocade shifuku and a polished tomobako.

Edo Period Akahada Ware Mishima-Style Flat Tea Bowl (赤膚山三島平茶碗)

Object Number: #JCB167
Title: Akahada Ware Mishima-Style Flat Tea Bowl (赤膚山三島平茶碗)
Place of Origin: Nara Prefecture, Japan
Artist: Akahada Kiln (赤膚窯)
Period: Edo Period (1603–1867)
Date: Late 18th to 19th Century (Late Edo)
Materials: Iron-rich stoneware with slip-inlaid decoration under ash glaze.
Style or Ware: Akahada Ware (赤膚焼) / Mishima Style (三島)
Dimensions: D: 15.0cm H: 4.4cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: A shallow tea bowl (hira-chawan - 平茶碗) executed in the Korean Mishima (三島) style by the Akahada kilns. It features a coarse, iron-rich clay body decorated with concentric bands of slip-inlaid radiating lines and stamped chrysanthemums (kiku), covered by a finely crackled translucent ash glaze. The unglazed foot ring (kōdai) reveals the raw clay and bears an impressed rectangular kiln seal reading Akahada-yama (赤膚山).
Note: The accompanying tomobako (wooden box) inscription notes Enshū Nana-gama (遠州七窯), proudly designating Akahada as one of the Seven Kilns favored by the early 17th-century tea master Kobori Enshū. The horizontal Akahada-yama seal on the base is characteristic of the kiln's high-quality revival production during the late Edo period.

Late Edo "Shino-Style" Kutani Summer Tea Bowl

(Attributed to Kasugayama Kiln, c. 1810–1840)

Object Number: #JCB439
Title: Late Edo "Shino-Style" Kasugayama Flat Tea Bowl (Hira-chawan)
Place of Origin: Ishikawa Prefecture (Kaga Domain), Japan
Artist: Unknown (Kasugayama Kiln 春日山窯)
Period: Late Edo Period
Date: c. 1807–1840
Materials: Coarse stoneware with feldspathic glaze and iron-oxide underglaze (tetsue)
Style or Ware: Kutani Ware (Kasugayama Shino-Utsushi)
Dimensions: - D: 13.0 cm H: 6.0 cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: This sophisticated hira-chawan (shallow summer tea bowl) is a premier example of 19th-century Kutani revival ceramics. While the visual aesthetic—featuring a thick, milky-white feldspathic glaze and iron-painted landscape—is a masterful homage to ancient Mino "Shino" ware, the piece originates from the prestigious Kasugayama Kiln in Kanazawa. Established under the guidance of Kyoto master Aoki Mokubei, the kiln specialized in high-level tea wares that replicated the textures of Japan's most revered traditions.
Note: * Authentication: The base bears a distinct, vertically impressed oval seal reading "Kasugayama" (春日山), visible through high-contrast macro analysis.
Provenance: Accompanied by an antique wooden tomobako inscribed "Ko-Kutani" (古九谷), reflecting the high regional status of Kasugayama wares among Edo-period collectors. This piece represents a rare fusion of rustic Mino aesthetics with the technical precision of the Kaga domain's premier revival kiln.

Joseon Dynasty celadon Mishima white inlaid tea bowl Phoenix/dragon crest

Object Number: #KCB582
Title: Joseon Dynasty celadon Mishima white inlaid tea bowl Phoenix/dragon cre
Place of Origin: Korea
Artist: Unknown
Period: Joseon Dynasty
Date: 19th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Mishima white inlaid Celadon Dimensions: D:18.5cm H: 9.5cm
Department: Korean
Art Collection: Korean Ceramics
Note: With the Antique Wooden Box with an inscription in Japanese and Korean.

Edo Period Hagi Chawan (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB431
Title: Hagi yaki Chawan Place of
Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period:
Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 18th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Hagi ware.
Dimensions: D: 11.0cm H: 7.5cm
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: Signed in the bottom.

Edo Period Karatsu Chawan (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB132
Title: Edo Period Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 18th-19th Century.
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Karatsu ware.
Dimensions: D: 10.7cm 4.21 inch H: 7.2 cm. 2.83inch Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the antique wooden tomobako storage box and Shifuku.

Joseon Dynasty Tea Bowl, Brush-mark with iron painting

Object Number: #KCB607
Title: Joseon Dynasty Tea Bowl, Brush-mark with iron painting Place of
Origin: Korea
Artist: Unknown
Period: Joseon Dynasty
Date: 18th-19th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: kiryuzan 鶏龍山
Dimensions: D: 14.0cm H: 7.2cm
Department: Korean
Art Collection: Korean Ceramics
Note: With the Wooden Box.

Kohiki Tea Bowl Joseon Dynasty

Object Number: #KCB485
Title: Kohiki Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Korea
Artist: Unknown
Period: Joseon Dynasty
Date: 18th Century.
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Kohiki
Dimensions: D: 15.0cm 5.90Inches H: 6.5cm 2.55Inches Department: Korean
Art Collection: Korean Ceramics.
Note: With the wooden tomobako storage box.

Edo Period Raku Chawan (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB349
Title: Edo Period Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 18th Century.
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Raku ware
Dimensions: D: 10.0cm. H: 7.2cm.
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the antique wooden tomobako storage box.

Large Irabo Bowl Joseon Dynasty.

Object Number: #KCB475
Title: Large Joseon Dynasty Irabo Bowl
Place of Origin: Korea
Artist: Unknown
Period: Joseon Dynasty
Date: 17-18 Century
Materials: Stoneware
Dimensions: D: 14.5cm. 5.70Inches H 7.0cm. 2.75Inches Department: Korean
Art Collection: Ceramics Arts
Note: With the wooden tomobako storage box and Shifuku.

Grey Shino Tea Bowl (Nezumi-Shino Chawan) with "Tau" Basal Mark

Edo Period Ko - Karatsu Tea Bowl (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB441
Title: Ko Karatsu Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist/Kiln: Torin-gama (Torin Kiln)
Period: Showa Era
Date: 20th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Feldspathic White Shino with Iron Oxide Underglaze
Dimensions: D: 12.5X12.0cm H: 8.0cm
Department: Japanese Art
Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the signed wooden tomobako storage box. A robust Mino-style tea bowl (chawan) by Torin-gama (Showa Period). The vessel features a hand-molded Kutsu-gata(shoe-shaped) form with thick, crawling feldspathic white glaze on Mogusa clay. The iron underglaze decoration depicts a "Linked Circle" (Shippo) motif. A key typological study piece.

Irabo Style Tea Bowl (1392–1910)

Joseon Dynasty Irabo Tea Bowl (1392–1910)

Object Number: #KCB475
Title: Ido Chawan
Place of Origin: Korea or Japan.
Artist: Unknown
Period:
Date: 19th - 20th Century.
Materials:
Style or Ware: Probably Karatsu
Dimensions: D: 14.5cm 5.70Inches H: 7.0cm 2.75Inches
Department: Korean - Japanese Art
Collection: Korea -Japan Ceramics.
Note: With the wooden box and Shifuku.

Edo Period Inuyama Tea Bowl (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB476
Title: Inuyama yaki tea bowl with the castle and a poem.
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 19th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Inuyama ware.
Dimensions: D: 14.4cm. H: 6.5cm
Department: Japanese Art
Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the wooden tomobako storage box.

Joseon Dynasty Tea Bowl (1392–1910)

Object Number: #KCB472
Title: Ido Chawan
Place of Origin: Korea
Artist: Unknown
Period: Joseon Dynasty
Date: 19th Century.
Materials: 18th-19tht Century
Style or Ware:
Dimensions: D: 14.0cm 5.51Inches D: 9.0cm 3.54Inches
Department: Korea Art
Collection: Korea Ceramics.
Note:

Joseon Dynasty Tea Bowl (1392–1910)

Object Number: #JCB114
Title: Important Ido Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Korea
Artist: Unknown
Period: Joseon Dynasty Date: 18th Century.
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware:
Dimensions: D: 14.2cm H: 8.0cm
Department: Korean Art
Collection: Korean Ceramics.
Note: With the antique wooden tomobako storage box.

Tenmoku Tea Bowl with Hare’s-Fur Glaze Jian Ware

Object Number: #CCB442
Title: Tenmoku Tea Bowl with Hare’s-Fur Glaze Jian Ware
Period: Song dynasty (960–1279)
Date:
Culture: China
Medium: Stoneware with copper-oxide glaze (Jian ware)
Dimensions: D: 12.5cm. 4.92Inches H: 6.5cm
Note: With Silver Rim.
With the wooden box.

Edo Period Seto Chawan (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB235
Title: Edo Period Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown Period: Edo Period (1603-1868)
Date: 17th-18th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Ki Seto ware.
Dimensions: D: 12.7cm H: 10.5cm
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the antique wooden tomobako storage box.

Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) Kōrai Gohon-de Tea Bowl "Tsutsui" (筒井)

Object Number: #JCB436
Title: Gohonte Tsutsu Chawan (Cylindrical Tea Bowl)
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Edo Period
Date: 18th - 19th Century
Materials: Buff stoneware with pale feldspathic glaze
Style or Ware: Gohonte (御本手)
Dimensions: - D: 11 cm H: 8.8cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: An Edo-period Japanese Tsutsu (cylindrical) tea bowl (筒茶碗) designed for winter use. It rests on a sharply carved foot-ring (kōdai 高台) featuring a central tokin (兜巾) peak. The iron-bearing buff stoneware is coated in a pale feldspathic glaze that exhibits a fine crackle network (kannyū 貫入), distinct iron speckling, and a darker dressed rim. The interior (mikomi 見込み) displays the signature pinkish Gohon (御本) oxidation blushes.
Note: Accompanied by an original wooden box (tomobako 共箱) with a paper label and lid inscription, plus a silk pouch (shifuku 仕覆).

Ko-Hagi Edo Period Tea Bowl (1603-1868)

Object Number: #JCB447
Title: Hagi yaki Chawan
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period:
Date:
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Hagi ware.
Dimensions: D: 13.8cm H: 9.0cm
Department: Japanese Art
Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With an Inscription on the wooden tomobako storage box.

Joseon Dynasty Tea Bowl (1392–1910)

Object Number: #KCB593
Title: Ido Chawan
Place of Origin: Korea.
Artist: Unknown
Period: Joseon Dynasty
Date: 18th-19tht Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware:
Dimensions: D: 15.0cm H: 8.7.cm
Department: Korean Art
Collection: Korean Ceramics.
Note: With the wooden box.

Goryeo dynasty Tea Bowl (918–1392)

Object Number: #KCB594
Title: Goryeo dynasty Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Korea.
Artist: Unknown
Period: Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392)
Date: 14th Century
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Stoneware with celadon glaze
Dimensions: D: 13.2cm H: 4.6.cm
Department: Korean Art
Collection: Korean Ceramics.
Note: With the wooden box.

Antique Aka Raku/ Ohi Chawan Tea Bowl

Object Number: #JCB477
Title: Unmarked Amber Glaze Tea Bowl (Ame-yū Chawan 飴釉茶碗)
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown (Mumei 無印)
Period: Meiji Period (1868–1912)
Date: Late 19th to Early 20th Century
Materials: Low-fired earthenware (nanshitsu-tōki 軟質陶器) with amber lead glaze
Style or Ware: Raku ware (Raku-yaki 楽焼) / Ohi ware (Ōhi-yaki 大樋焼) style
Dimensions: - D: 10.3cm H: 8.8cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection:Japanese
Description: This hand-kneaded (tebineri 手捏ね) tea bowl features a rich, iridescent amber glaze (ame-yū 飴釉) characteristic of the Ohi and Raku traditions. A physical examination of the unglazed foot (tatatsuki 畳付) reveals a softening of the spatula carving (keribori 削り), alongside deep, integrated glaze iridescence (ginka 銀化) and tannin saturation (kannyū-zome 貫入染め). These material wear patterns firmly anchor the piece in the Meiji period, demonstrating an authentic, century-old patina (jidai 時代). The bowl is housed in an un-inscribed wooden box (tomobako 共箱) and bears no potter's seal.

Antique Shino Yaki Tea bowl Chawan

Object Number: #JCB471
Title: Antique Shino Yaki Tea Bowl Chawan
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period: Meiji Period (1868-1912)
Date:
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Mino ware, Shino type
Dimensions: D: 12.0 x 11.0cm 4.72Inches H: 7.1cm. 2.79Inches.
Department: Japanese Art
Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note:

Nezumi Shino "Higaki" Tea Bowl with Spiral Foot 　

Object Number: #JCB592
Title: Antique Nezu Shino Yaki Style Tea Bowl Chawan
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period:
Date:
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Mino/Seto yaki, Shino type
Dimensions: D: 11.0 x 10.0cm H: 9.8cm. 2.79Inches.
Department: Japanese Art
Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Description A commanding example of Nezumi Shino (Grey Shino) ware in the Momoyama Revival style. The vessel features a deep charcoal ground with a crisp white sgraffito design, achieved by scraping iron slip beneath a thick, pitted feldspathic glaze. The surface is defined by a rich yuzu-hada ("citron skin") texture and warm flashes of hi-iro (fire color). The decoration utilizes the traditional Higaki (Cypress Fence) motif, executed with spontaneous, rapid knife work. It rests on a carved ring foot revealing dense, high-fired clay and a distinct uzumaki (spiral) tooling mark in the center—a deliberate "silent signature" of the maker. Though unsigned (Mumei), the technical precision and confident tooling indicate a high-grade work by a skilled Mino potter, likely a "separated masterpiece" lost from its original box.

Zeze-yaki Amber Glazed Hira-Chawan Meiji Period

Object Number: #JCB592
Title: Zeze Ware Ame-yu Flat Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Zeze Kiln.
Period: Meiji Period (1868–1912)
Date:
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Otsu, Shiga
Dimensions: D 11.9 cm x H 5.2 cm
Department: Japanese Art
Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Description A Meiji period Hira-chawan (flat summer tea bowl) from the Zeze kilns, historically designated as one of the "Seven Kilns of Enshu." The bowl features the kiln's signature Ame-yu (amber iron glaze), characterized by a deep, lustrous finish that mimics the patina of iron tea kettles—a specific preference of the tea master Kobori Enshu. The low, wide form allows heat to dissipate, making it ideal for summer tea gatherings. The unglazed foot is impressed with the formal "Zeze" (膳所) seal. with the wooden Tomobako.

Antique Tea Bowl Chawan Shino Yaki Style

Object Number: #JCB597
Title: Edo Period Tea Bowl
Place of Origin: Japan
Artist: Unknown
Period:
Date:
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Mino ware, Shino type
Dimensions: D: 12.8cm H: 7.5cm　
Department: Japanese
Art Collection: Japanese Ceramics.
Note: With the antique wooden tomobako storage box .

Kuro Raku "Fuji-san" Teabowl (黒楽茶碗富士山)

Object Number: # JCB445
Title: Kuro Raku "Fuji-san" Teabowl (黒楽茶碗富士山)
Place of Origin: Kyoto, Japan (京都, 日本)
Artist: Sasaki Shoraku Kiln (佐々木昭楽)
Period: Showa Period (昭和時代)
Date: Mid-20th Century
Materials: Earthenware with black and white glazes (Kuro-raku yaki 黒楽焼)
Style or Ware: Raku ware (Rakuyaki 楽焼), Kyoto ware (Kyōyaki 京焼)
Dimensions: - D: 11.0 cm H: 7.2cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: Black Raku teabowl (Kuro-raku chawan 黒楽茶碗) hand-formed by the esteemed Sasaki Shoraku (佐々木昭楽) kiln in Kyoto. The thick, textured black glaze (kuro-gusuri 黒釉) contrasts with a striking white reserve depicting the silhouette of Mount Fuji (Fuji-san 富士山). This design is a formal homage (utsushi写し) to the renowned 17th-century National Treasure teabowl by Hon'ami Koetsu, housed in the Sunritz Hattori Museum of Arts.
Note: Authenticated by an impressed "Shoraku" (昭楽) seal on the unglazed footring (kodai 高台). Accompanied by its original, naturally aged wooden box (tomobako 共箱) with faded ink calligraphy reading 黒樂茶碗 (Kuro Raku Chawan) and the Shoraku signature.

Joseon Dynasty Mishima Bowl

Object Number: #KCB583
Title: Joseon Dynasty Mishima Bowl
Place of Origin: Korea
Artist: Unknown
Period: Joseon dynasty
Date:
Materials: Ceramics
Style or Ware: Mishima ware.
Dimensions: D: 11.6.0cm H: 8.0cm
Department: Korean
Art Collection: Korean Ceramics.
Note: With the antique Tomobako and documentation.

Sugimura Ikuko (杉村以久子) Chawan

Object Number: #JCB264
Title: Kuro Raku Tea Bowl (黒楽茶碗 - Kuro Raku Chawan)
Place of Origin: Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Artist: Sugimura Ikuko (杉村以久子)
Period: Heisei / Reiwa Era (Contemporary)
Date: 20th Century
Materials: Earthenware with low-fired lead glaze (陶器 - Tōki)
Style or Ware: Raku ware (楽焼 - Rakuyaki)
Dimensions: - D: 10.5cm H: 9.2cm
Department: Japanese Ceramics
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: A hand-formed (手捏ね - tebineri) Kuro Raku tea bowl (黒楽茶碗) featuring a tactile, asymmetrical profile. Its matte black glaze (黒薬 - Kuro-gusuri) provides a stark ground for a prominent, crawling yellowish-green glaze "landscape" (景色 - keshiki). The base displays a carved foot ring (高台 - Kōdai) with a spiral motif and the artist's impressed "以" seal. Accompanied by the original artist-signed wooden storage box (共箱 - Tomobako) inscribed "茶盌" (Chawan) and "以久子作" (Made by Ikuko).

Yamaoka Toru (山岡徹), 3rd Generation Yamaoka Tetsuzan (三代山岡徹山) Chawan

Object Number: #JCB108
Title: Agano Kohiki Teabowl (上野焼粉引茶碗)
Place of Origin: Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan (日本国福岡県)
Artist: Yamaoka Toru (山岡徹), 3rd Generation Yamaoka Tetsuzan (三代山岡徹山)
Period: Heisei (平成 )
Date: 20th Century
Materials: Iron-rich stoneware (陶土), white slip (白化粧), translucent glaze (透明釉)
Style or Ware: Agano Ware (上野焼 - Agano-yaki), Kohiki style (粉引 / 분청 Buncheong)
Dimensions: D: 14.0 cm H: 7.2 cm
Department: Japanese Art
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: A masterwork Agano Kohiki (粉引) teabowl by 3rd Generation Yamaoka Tetsuzan. The iron-rich stoneware features white slip (shiro-geshō / 白化粧), translucent glaze, fine crackle (kannyū / 貫入), and peach gohonte (御本手) blushing. Three interior spur marks (me-ato / 目跡) reflect traditional Joseon (조선) stacking techniques. The tomobako calligraphy confirms "粉引茶碗" (Kohiki chawan) and "上野焼三代山岡徹山" (Agano-yaki, 3rd Gen. Yamaoka Tetsuzan).
Note: The inclusion of a nijūbako (二重箱 / double box) designates this as a top-tier artist masterwork (meihin / 名品). Similar high-grade Agano wares are held at the Kyushu National Museum.

Hagijō Kiln 萩城窯, Hagi Ware Chawan

Object Number: #JCB149
Title: Hagi Ware Tea Bowl (萩焼茶碗, Hagi-yaki Chawan)
Place of Origin: Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
Artist: Hagijō Kiln (萩城窯, Hagijō-gama)
Period: Shōwa Period
Date: Mid-20th Century
Materials: Stoneware; feldspathic glaze over iron-rich clay
Style or Ware: Hagi Ware (Oni-Hagi style)
Dimensions: - D: 12.0cm H: 9.0cm
Department: Japanese Art
Collection: Japanese Collection
Description: A powerful example of Oni-Hagi (鬼萩) stoneware, featuring a heavily cratered kairagi (梅花皮) glaze. The vessel is housed in a tomobako (original box) bearing a significant medical provenance: a presentation gift from the staff of Ward 51 at Shiohama Hospital (塩浜病院). This institution was historically vital as the clinical center for treating the Yokkaichi Asthma epidemic, marking the piece as a rare intersection of ceramic art and 20th-century Japanese public health history. Signature: Hagi (萩); Seal: Hagijō (萩城). Historical provenance linked to the Yokkaichi pollution era (1960s-70s). Robust tactile form with a cut footring and cream-to-peach glaze tones, designed to mature and darken through ritual tea use (Hagi no nanabake).