Height 9.5cm, Bowl diameter 11.7-12.6cm, Stand diameter 5.0cm
The label on the back of the lid of the inner box containing the tea bowl reads, “This tea bowl was formerly in the possession of Honda Harimamori, and is inscribed “Katanoha” by Munehwa. However, when his daughter married into the Shinohara family, which was a large family with a stipend of 8,000 koku in the Kaga Maeda domain, the inscription “Katao ‘wave'” was not appropriate, so he had it replaced with the new box that now comes with it. Afterwards, it was handed down to the Shinohara family, and in the Meiji period, it passed into the hands of Hitooka Isaku of Kanazawa.
It is a rather deep, full, thin tea bowl with a slightly tightened body and a slightly held-up mouth, which is a form that is said to be the same as the “Iroe Scale Wave Bowl” and is a favorite of Munehwa. It is no exaggeration to say that the master potter Ninsei’s skill on the potter’s wheel has been fully demonstrated, and every detail of the work is well considered and skillfully executed.
The inside is slightly thin, while the outside is covered to the edge of the base, leaving the bare skin on one side. The glaze has a flow-like appearance, but the glaze was applied in consideration of the design effect, and the prospective glaze has a purplish tinge. The slightly reddish-brown skin of the base is quite hardened, and the base has been cut in a manner unique to Ninsei, with the tatami mats being one-thin. The left side of the base is stamped with the small seal of “Ninsei,” which has been called the Sowa seal since ancient times.
