Kuro-raku, Important Cultural Property
Accessories
Box, paulownia wood, white wood, inscription
Inside lid, inscription, written by Kakuzai Sōsha
Cover, cotton fabric
Provenance
Mitsui family main house
Record
Japanese Ceramics: A Critical Study, Miscellaneous Notes from a Leisurely Window, Record of Painstaking Efforts, Taishō Masterpieces of Ceramics.
Dimensions
Height: 8.6–9.2 cm, Mouth diameter: 11.7–12.4 cm, Foot diameter: 3.2–4.6 cm, Height: 0.5 cm, Weight: 357 g
The rain clouds are inscribed with the name Kakuzai, and the black glaze is likely meant to resemble rain clouds with rapidly moving cloud bases.
The overall shape is round, but the rim is slightly curved at the edges. It is somewhat thin, with a sharp rim and vertical grooves visible on the body.A jet-black lacquer glaze in the Nonkou style is applied to the body, with many fire marks here and there, a technique unique to Koetsu. The foot is flat and resembles the bottom of a go board.
The famous comment by the bookstore owner Ryoun, “There are places that are glossy and places that are dull,” is indeed apt, as this is a characteristic of rain clouds and can be seen as Koetsu’s ingenuity.
