Transmitted by Oda Tokubei of Owari Province
Dimensions
Height: 5.1-6.0 cm Diameter: 15.4-15.9 cm Foot diameter: 5.1 cm Same height: 0.6 cm Weight: 272 g
This tea bowl is thought to have been fired in Karatsu, but there is no definitive evidence.
It may also have been made in South Korea, but no similar pieces have been produced there. Further research is necessary.
Why is it called “Seto Karatsu”?
Judging from the clay, it is from Karatsu, not Seto. However, the glaze is very similar to Shino glaze. The author believes that this is why it came to be called “Seto Karatsu.”
Intuitively, this tea bowl evokes a sense of wabi-sabi. It seems to carry the atmosphere of the Joseon Dynasty.
The name “Hikujira” derives from the white-ish skin resembling the dried skin of a whale. As a summer tea bowl, it enhances the tea, and tea masters likely valued this sensation.
