Height: 8.2 cm, Mouth Diameter: 10.9 cm, Foot Diameter: 5.1 cm
This tea bowl is unusually thickly formed compared to other works by Ichinyu. As Kaku Kaku Sai Genso wrote on the inside of the box lid, “Ichinyu Black Tea Bowl, Shino-style, inscribed ‘Hatsuyuki’ (seal),” this tea bowl is a highly deliberate work that mimics the style of Shino ware. The rim features undulating contours, the body—formed using a mold—is strongly flared, and the base features a flat, folded foot ring; the section from the foot ring to the body is also crafted to be flat.
The interior of the foot is carved into a round shape, leaving a swirl-like indentation, and the triangular exposed clay section from the foot to the body also imitates that of Shino ware. The clay, said to be mixed with Bizen clay and rich in iron, has been fired to a hard, dense finish. The black glaze is well-fused but not overly thick, and Ichinyu’s characteristic red glaze is completely absent.
