Accessories: Inner box, paulownia wood, white lacquer, inscription by Gen’en-sai Sōshitsu; same inscription on the underside of the lid, black lacquer, gold powder characters
Provenance: Kaga Asazaki’s Kikuchi family—Tokyo Ueda family
Recorded in: Taisho Meiki Kanko (Catalogue of Famous Ceramics from the Taisho Era)
Dimensions
Height: 8.0–8.5 cm Mouth diameter: 12.0–12.8 cm Foot diameter: 5.1 cm Same height: 0.9 cm Weight: 360 g
Hagi tea bowls were particularly popular among tea masters because they share the same plump softness found in both Ido and Shino tea bowls.
This “softness,” “openness,” and a subtle ‘brightness’ are what make it so appealing.
This is likely because it evokes the concept of “wabi.”
The shape of this tea bowl is “brush-washing style,” the glaze color is persimmon, and there is one spot where the glaze is missing at the bottom.
The interior is coated with white glaze that clings like lingering snow.
The inscription “Tanigaura” likely refers to the white glaze, evoking the image of Mount Fuji standing tall at Tanigaura. This is truly a tea bowl that brings tea to life.
