Height: 8.3 cm, Mouth Diameter: 10.8 cm, Foot Diameter: 4.4 cm
Chikusu Art Museum
This tea bowl features a slightly flared rim and a gently curved body, with a stepped waist and chamfered edges. The foot is small and compact, and a swirling kabuto-kin (helmet cloth) pattern is clearly carved into the interior of the foot. A plum tree is carved on one side of the body; the plum tree area is coated with a thin layer of black glaze, while the rest is coated with a thick layer, causing the pattern to stand out in white. Beneath the plum tree is stamped the seal of Lord Tokugawa Harutaka, known as the “naka-in” (central seal), while on the underside of the lid, Taniri himself has inscribed: “Plum Painting, Black Tea Bowl, Seal: 10th Generation ‘Kichizaemon.’” It is a fine example among tea bowls featuring painted designs.
