Accessories: Box, paulownia wood, white lacquer, inscription by Kobori Gonshiro
Dimensions
Height: 8.2–8.9 cm, mouth diameter: 12.5–13.0 cm, foot diameter: 6.2–6.6 cm, foot height: 0.4–0.7 cm, weight: 525 g
The author was deeply moved when he first saw this tea bowl at the Kōnoike family auction in 1940.
Among Nezumi Shino tea bowls, this is a masterpiece among masterpieces.
As mentioned earlier, the same pottery shard was discovered during an excavation of the kiln in 1932, which likely deepened the impression.
The first reason this tea bowl is considered a masterpiece is its craftsmanship, and the second is the color tone of the firing.
A common feature of Nezumi-shino tea bowls made in the kiln in Mino at that time is that within the blackish mouse color, a strong reddish hue with a sense of solitude is hidden. It has a powerful presence that makes one think it is almost completely red at first glance. With a diameter of 13 centimeters, it is a truly majestic masterpiece.
In this “Yokumo,” the red color appears in several horizontal streaks, which were likely interpreted as evening clouds.
