Height: 13.3 cm; Mouth Diameter: 8.0–10.0 cm; Foot Diameter: 5.3 cm
Hatakeyama Memorial Museum
The underside of the inner box lid bears the inscription: “Favored by Senso Soshu, made by Ohi, inscribed as ‘Horikane no I,’ Genroan (seal).” While the identity of the writer remains unclear, Senso was known to favor works with unexpected forms and had them made by Ohi; therefore, it is reasonable to assume this piece, as described in the inscription, reflects Senso’s taste. “Horika-no-i” appears to have been a famous site in Musashino; there is a poem by Sensei in the Senzai-shū that sings of Horika-no-i.
It is indeed a deeply unexpected cylindrical tea bowl, and I am somewhat concerned as to whether tea can be properly prepared in it. While the first-generation Ōhi produced many thin-walled tea bowls, this one is also thinly made, with an oval rim and a cylindrical body with a rounded base. The foot is large, but the base is narrow; the interior of the foot has been carved into a rounded shape, and a swirl-like pattern has been carved into one side using a comb-like technique. Although it is fully glazed, the glaze is thin, resulting in a bright amber color.
