Accessories
Box, black lacquer with gold lettering
Provenance
Otsu Ryogaiya Hikoemon
Dimensions
Height: 7.0–7.5 cm, mouth diameter: 14.2–14.7 cm, foot diameter: 6.0 cm, height: 0.9 cm, weight: 292 g
This is one of three nail-carved bowls, but it stands out for its particularly robust construction. In terms of the challenging nature of the nail-carving technique, it is likely one of the finest examples even among Korean tea bowls. The Ryōhiko inscription indicates that it was owned by Ryōhiko of the Otsu money changer. The surface features fine, well-defined lines, and the glaze’s blue and red hues rise beautifully, fully capturing the essence of tea. Among the numerous stone particles, the area near the foot rim has a dense bead-like glaze, creating an exquisite scene.The interior forms a tea-stained whirlpool with a vivid reddish hue, and there are six eyes. The foot is large and sturdy, with nail carvings on the eastern side, exuding a bold and vigorous atmosphere. All the nail-carved bowls share a similar style, suggesting they may all be the work of the same artisan.
