Height: 9.6 cm, Mouth Diameter: 9.9 cm, Foot Diameter: 4.9 cm
Teki-sui Art Museum
This is an excellent cylindrical tea bowl featuring a vivid vermilion glaze covering the entire interior and exterior. The rim is slightly curved inward and thin, the body is rounded, and the foot is modest and round in shape. It is certainly a bowl that appears to emulate the style of Ichinyu. However, while the rim is thin, the body is somewhat thick, and three tool marks remain on the foot. Near the base, though somewhat indistinct, there is an incised inscription reading “○○85 Rakuo (seal).” Therefore, we can confirm that this is a work by Inui Jinbei—known as Rakuo—who was hailed as the fourth-generation master of Gyokusui-yaki. Rakuō lived a long life; there are works dated to when he was 89 years old, and he passed away on July 5, 1769, at the age of 89. He was a pivotal figure in the development of Tamamizu-yaki, and many of his works are of exceptional quality. It is likely that many pieces attributed to Iri are actually the work of Rakuō. On the underside of the inner box lid, the following inscription is written: “Made by Rakuō at age 85: Red Cylindrical Tea Bowl, signed ‘Hachijūshi-ō’ (seal).”
