Accessories: Box with inscription
Provenance: Kōnoike family – Hatakeyama Sokō
Dimensions
Height: 8.1 cm Mouth diameter: 14.9 cm Foot diameter: 6.1–6.3 cm Height: 1.4 cm Weight: 325 g
Location: Tokyo Hatakeyama Memorial Museum
“Katen” refers to a piece with a firm, earthy texture and a glaze that is slightly bluish and not as bright as ‘tamagate.’ However, this is a name given by a tea master based on their initial impression, so it is important to note that it can encompass a wide range of pieces. Among the ‘katen’ pieces, this ‘amemori’ piece has the most intricate patterns.
The bowl is shaped like a bowl, with a wide bamboo-jointed foot, a large mirror-like interior, and remnants of the mold marks, all of which are identical to the previously mentioned Tamagote tea bowl. The glaze contains a high proportion of feldspar, and some parts of the rim show translucent pools similar to those found in Shino ware. On the shaved edges of the foot, there are also traces of kaigaki (a technique of scraping the glaze to reveal the unglazed clay).
Beneath the white glaze, various sizes of purple lacquer stains emerge, giving it the appearance of a mud wall stained by rain. This is caused by air bubbles from the clay that escaped during firing, forming pores that allowed tea stains to seep in, creating these mottled patterns.
