National Treasure
Accessories: Box, Paulownia wood, white lacquer, beveled edges, inscription, matching lid with attached paper label, inscription
Provenance: Fuyuki family of Edo Fukagawa—Mitsui family of Muromachi period
Recorded in: Taisho Tea Ceremony Record, Taisho Masterpieces of Tea Ceremony
Dimensions
Height: 8.8–9.5 cm Mouth diameter: 10.5–11.8 cm Foot diameter: 6.4 cm Foot height: 0.5 cm Weight: 496 g
Although it appears very large in photographs, it is actually a small tea bowl by Shino standards. This is what makes it a masterpiece.
This applies not only to tea bowls but to all objects: those that appear larger or heavier than they actually are are considered masterpieces. This is true not only for ceramics but also for objects made of stone or metal. The author has had the opportunity to drink tea from this bowl on several occasions, and it was the most delicious tea he has ever tasted.This tea bowl is renowned as a masterpiece of Shino tea bowls, but it does not appear in historical records until after the mid-Edo period. This is true of Shino pottery in general, as interest in Shino tea bowls did not rise until the mid-Edo period, so it is important to note that the history of Shino appreciation is relatively recent. In fact, the beauty of Shino tea bowls was first widely praised in the early Showa period.The kiln where this tea bowl was fired is undoubtedly the Mino Oogaya Mutadō Kiln (Gifu Prefecture, Ena Town).
The following verse is written on a colored paper attached to the back of the box: “The path through the mountain village, where the flowers bloom, is covered in snow, and the scent of the flowers wafts through the fence.” This name was likely inspired by the scent of the flowers blooming on the fence.
