Height 7.5cm, Bowl diameter 15.4cm, Base diameter 5.3cm
This piece is called “Itoya Karatsu” because it belonged to Ryosai Itoya (also spelled Ryosai), a tea master of the Enshu school in Kyoto during the Genroku era (1688-1704), who was known as a great connoisseur of the tea ceremony. Although it is a so-called Okukoryote style, this tea bowl has a bluish glaze while “Sanpo” and “Autumn Night” have a loquat-colored glaze. The potter’s wheel is gently curving the surface of the body, and the mouth is slightly warped at the top of the body. The bottom of the body is thicker than the body, and the base, which is smaller and tighter than the body, is clearly carved in the shape of a bamboo joint. The clay surface around the base is sticky and partly burnt red, and the glazed surface shows small and large blotches like rain leaks, creating a wabi-stained appearance. Compared to “Sanpou” and “Autumn Night,” the workmanship of this piece seems to be more deliberate. It is said to have come into the possession of Itoya Ryosai and then to the Fukui family in Kyoto.
