Accessories: Box, paulownia wood, white lacquer, inscription by Kanemori Sōwa, message by Kanemori Sōwa
Provenance: Akahoshi family—Kuhara Fusanosuke
Published in: Tea Bowl Appraisal Notes, compiled by Dr. Kurokawa Shinrai, Craft Materials, Taisho Tea Ceremony Records, Taisho Masterpiece Guide
Dimensions
Height: 7.5 cm, Mouth diameter: 11.7–13.1 cm, Foot diameter: 4.7 cm, Same height: 0.5 cm, Weight: 255 g
Ninsei’s tea bowls are extremely feminine. Even among tea masters, this tea bowl is particularly well suited to women. Ninsei was originally a person with aristocratic sensibilities, but aristocrats are inherently feminine, delicate, and diverse in their sensibilities, so this is only natural.
As mentioned earlier, this tea bowl was influenced by Kanamori Sōwa, known as “Hime Sōwa,” but it does not convey a sense of boldness or austerity.
From the mid-Edo period onwards, tea ceremony became more feminine and aristocratic, and the fact that Ninshō lived in Kyoto was a significant factor in this.
The bowl features Jinsei’s distinctive meticulous base, a slightly bluish white glaze, and fine crackles on the surface. The texture is soft and delicate, reminiscent of a woman’s skin. The fan-shaped design painted on it also has a Kyoto-style motif. Depending on how one looks at it, one might even imagine the pattern of a woman’s long sash.
