Accessories: Box, paulownia wood, matching lid, inscription by Masuda Don’o
Provenance: Fujita family
Dimensions
Height: 7.4-7.8 cm, mouth diameter: 12.2-12.4 cm, foot diameter: 6.3 cm, height: 0.7 cm, weight: 445 g
This is one of the typical examples of Shino tea bowls.
It is elegant, spacious, and refined. The rim is gently curved, showing soft lines. The bridge and water plants are painted with iron pigment, and three triangles are arranged on one side. This is probably a mountain. Therefore, it was likely named “Ushiwaka” in reference to the Gojo Bridge in Kyoto. The glaze is applied thickly, revealing the triangular clay, and the fine yuzu-skin texture is white and beautiful.
This is a slightly large tea bowl, and at first glance, it appears very large and heavy, but according to the author’s memory, it was surprisingly light. This is ultimately due to the quality of the craftsmanship.
A tea bowl should be slightly lighter than it appears.
The iron painting has a slightly cast purple hue, but in Shino tea bowls, the iron painting has a subdued purple hue within the red, which is appreciated.
