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Height 8.1cm, mouth diameter 10.7cm, base diameter 4.9cm
The inscription in the center of the lid of the inner box with two characters “Toshikan” is said to have been written by Rikyu, and the inscription on the upper right “Chojiro Black Tea Bowl” was written by Sen Sotan. Furthermore, the inscription on the back of the lid, “Rikyu me ha tool nitsu mochi ni keri ichitsushirisuri utsutsu ashiguri chawanmei chawan by Rikyu, Chojiro chawan by Sotan, Soshitsu (flower seal),” was written by Soso Soshitsu, who also wrote a kyoka poem or other inscription. According to legend, the name “Toshihiro” was given to the tea bowl by a student from Satsuma who asked Rikyu for a bowl of Chojiro’s tea. Senzo’s poem may have been written about the two bowls returned to him.
The style of this bowl is a complete change from the “Okuro,” “Toyobo,” and “Kitano Kuro,” with the mouth held strongly inward, the body tightened, and the waist curved strongly. The waist is curved and the body is tightened. The area from the waist to the edge of the high stand is wide and shallowly stepped, and one side of the waist is decorated with a chamotori spatula. The height is low and small, with a slight indentation around the base and a Tomoe-shaped kabukin carved inside the base, but it is not as sharp as the “Okuro” model. What is completely different from the “large Kuro” is that the overall shape is quite thin, especially the bottom is thinner than expected. The brownish-black glaze is fired moist and smooth, but does not have the glossy skin of “Okuro” and “Touyoubou. Among the Chojiro ware tea bowls inscribed by Rikyu, this one could not be included in this volume, but it is similar to “Gandori,” and the workmanship is quite strong. Its ancient origin is unknown, and the date when it came into the possession of the Muromachi Mitsui family is also unclear.