Transmitted to the Kōnoike family
Dimensions
Height: 7.4–7.8 cm, mouth diameter: 13.6–14.2 cm, foot diameter: 6.6 cm, foot height: 1.0 cm, weight: 482 g
Owner: Tokyo Hatakeyama Memorial Museum
Nezumi-shino refers to the coloration achieved during firing, where the flames cause the clay to turn not only mouse-gray but also red-shino, red-shino, or iron-shino. This tea bowl has little mouse-gray and instead approaches the tones of red-shino or red-shino.
This tea bowl is truly an excellent piece. It lacks a tortoise shell pattern, with only the cypress fence design being carved away. The foot, which resembles a double foot, is well-proportioned, and like the “Minekōyō,” white glaze is applied up to the sides of the foot.
The changes in the rim are natural and skillful, and the grooves on the waist are well-defined. The shape is elegant, and it is a tea bowl of high quality.
During the Rikyu era, it is recorded that only this tea bowl was used in tea ceremonies.
Shino tea bowls are typically unique pieces, and this renowned bowl is one of those irreplaceable examples. If multiple identical pieces were to exist, they would undoubtedly be the work of later artisans.
