Height: 10.5 cm, Mouth Diameter: 10.9 cm, Foot Diameter: 6.2 cm
This tea bowl has been virtually unknown to the public until now; although it is housed only in a box bearing Ryōnyū’s signature, it is an exceptional piece renowned for its unique form and captivating aesthetic.
This is a cylindrical tea bowl with a slightly flared, deeply rising body. It is generally thin-walled, with a thin, scalloped rim. The footring resembles the “Chidori” style, flaring outward toward the base; the base itself is flat and sharply angular, while the interior of the footring is carved to a rounded shape—a style unique to Dōnyū. A “Raku” seal is stamped inside the foot, but the thick black glaze has smudged it, leaving only five marks visible on the foot rim. A curtain of glaze drips from the rim down to the upper part of the body, while the lower part of the body, where the black glaze has been removed, is thickly coated with a yellowish white glaze; this appearance evokes the atmosphere of lingering snow, which is likely why it was given this name. The white patterns of “Masu” and “Chidori” are created by applying a water-based glaze over areas where the black glaze has been omitted, whereas this “Zansetsu” clearly features a white glaze; both are glazing techniques originating from the Dōnyū school.
