Height 10.5 cm, mouth diameter 25.3 x 29.0 cm, bottom diameter 20.8 x 21.0 cm, four legs.
Probably made during the Keicho period. It is probably one of the masterpieces of Momoyama Bizen.
Although excellent pieces with transparencies were fired from the Keicho to Genna and Kan’ei periods, the extremely small number of examples suggests that they were probably special order pieces.
This is an imposing large bowl, nearly 1 shaku in diameter, with a high rise and a spacious outlook. The bowl is quite artificial, but it seems to have been made in a rough manner typical of Momoyama period. The sides rise almost vertically, with a broad, sloping surface at the waist, and small feet are attached to the bottom on all four sides. The sides are carved from the outside with various designs in fourteen places, and the prospective face is effectively decorated with seven rounded slits (so-called “peony cakes”), one in the center and the other seven around it. There is a “-” carved on the bottom.
The translucent pattern is in perfect harmony with the overall appearance, and the burnt finish is also richly flavored. It is a masterpiece that deepens my admiration every time I see it.
