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Meiji Period Aka Raku Chawan with wood box - signed 650 $ sold

Shiny and vivid Aka Raku (Red Raku) Chawan, hand molded during the Meiji Period around 1900. The chawan is signed and the wood box is included, too.

Some parts of the chawan were intentionally left unglazed (white parts around the foot - no cracks!) to generate imperfection.

Size: 2,9'' height x 4,5 cm in diameter.

Shipping included.

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Shigaraki Hira Chawan 19th cent. 500 $ sold

Wonderful Shigaraki Hira Chawan with artistic and shiny glaze, made around the end of the 19th century. No cracks or repairs. A real aesthetic chawan.

The original wood box and shipping are included.

Size: 4,9 cm height x 16,6 (max) in diameter.

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Hakeme Style Kyoto Chawan by Kiyomizu Rokubei IV 1500 $ sold

Let's continue with another treasure: rounded wan-shaped tea bowl with high foot of the bamboo node style. The body pinched in at the middle to a shape called tojinbue (Chinese flute). The light, little coarse clay with enclosures is expertly thrown and full glazed - incl. the foot - with a transparent glaze of wood ash with some feldspar over a white engobe in hakeme style. The glaze shows a fine little crazing over the engobe, which is just amazing. It shows discoloration and patina from green tea, a sign of many years of careful use. The bowl was made before he transferred the 'Rokubei' name to his son in 1913.

The tea bowl is in its ORIGINAL wooden BOX (sugibako), which is inscribed on the lid: hakeme chawan Rokubei (kao) and seal.

Kiyomizu Rokubei is the name assigned to the head of the Kyoto-based Kiyomizu family of ceramists. With over 240 years of history, the studio is now into its eighth generation. It is currently headed by contemporary ceramist and sculptor Rokubei VIII. The family were influential in the development and survival of Kyo-yaki or Kyoto ware.

Rokubei IV was born in 1848, the oldest son of Rokubei III. He took over the headship in 1883 upon his father's death. He was known for his subtle, intellectual works, which contrasted with his father's dramatic style. Most of his pieces were Raku-yaki, Seto-yaki, Shigaraki-yaki, and other traditional ceramic styles. He was especially skilled at crab decorations, a trend of the period. He studied painting with Shiokawa Bunrin, a Shijō school painter who was strongly influenced by Western art.

Rokubei IV was active in Kyoto art circles, helping to establish the Gojōzaka Ceramics Union, the Yutōen ceramics organization, the Society for Ceramics Appreciation, and the Kami Kai with painter/ designer Kamisaka Sekka. In 1895 he co-founded the Kyoto Ceramic Research Institute. He participated in initiatives to popularize Japanese arts abroad. During the 1880s, he participated in art exhibitions as a competitor and judge. He retired in 1913 in favour of his son, and took the name Rokui. He died in 1920, leaving a legacy of having synthesized the techniques of the Kiyomizu family and truly defined the Rokubei style. A porcelain tōrō lantern made by Rokubei IV donated by Rokubei V in 1938 stands on the grounds of the Tokyo National Museum garden.

Size: 6.7 cm height x 12,3 cm in diameter.

Shipping included

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Seto Samurai Chawan 350 $ sold

More than 100 year old Seto Chawan, slightly distorted and with two Samurai emblems. Perfect antique condition with no cracks or repairs. True wabi-sabi atmosphere.

It comes with a good wooden box.

Size: 9 cm height and 10,5 cm in diameter.

Shipping included.

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Superb Aka-Raku Chawan by greatest Kichizaemon Konyu 6500 $ sold

Perfect Aka Raku Chawan by Kichizaemon (twelfth Generation) Konyu (1857-1932). His childhood name was Kozaburo, later became Kicho (or, Yoshinaga). He was the eldest son of Keinyu, the eleventh generation master. In 1871, he succeeded the family business and became the generation master. In 1919 he retired and took the name as Konyu. He enjoyed his retirement in practicing tea ceremony and writing haiku. His Aka (red) Raku wares were famous for the dynamic use of spatula. He was also skillful at using double layering glazes for Kuro (black) Raku wares.

This chawan comes with a fine authentication box written and signed by the twelfth Generation of Omotosenke: Seisai Keio (1863~1937). Omotesenke is one of the three houses (families) descended from Sen no Rikyu, the Japanese tea master who perfected the Way of Tea in the 16th century. The title of head of the house passed down to the second and then third generation (Sen Shōan and Sen Sotan, respectively). The fourth-generation head was known as Koshin Sosa, and it is this Sosa name which the family line uses today. The Omotesenke tea room (chashitsu) is known as Fushin-an. Seisai was the eldest son of Rokurokusai, the eleventh master. Since Rokurokusai retired early, he succeeded as the twelfth master at a young age. Therefore, important events were practiced mainly by Rokurokusai. After Rokurokusai’s death, Seisai worked hard to recover Omotesenke ('Front Sen family'). In 1913, Fushin-an was rebuilt, and in 1921, Shofuro was added. His choice of equipment summed up the most in the entire masters. Many of the items were created by the Senke Jissoku (the Ten Craftsmen of the House of Sen'). It also includes Kamakura Bori ('Kamakura style carving'), Hagi Yaki ('Hagi in Yamaguchi prefecture style pottery'), Zeze Yaki ('Zeze in Shiga prefecture style pottery'), and Satsuma Yaki ('Kagoshima style pottery'). Seisai’s heir Yotaro was bestowed the title Soin by Maruyama Den’ne of Daitoku-ji temple in Kyoto in 1935. Together with his younger brother Kakujiro, he was supposed to become a help to his sickly father Saisei. However, Yotaro died at the age of 40, earlier than his father.

No chips, no cracks.

Size: 8 cm height x 12,2 cm in diameter.

Shipping included

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Hagi Chawan with Kintsugi Gold by the 9th Saka Koraizaemon 800 $ sold

Another Hagi Chawan of the Koraizaemon family in our collection: wonderful Hagi tea bowl made by the 9th generation Saka Koraizaemon (1849-1921) during the Meiji Period. Fine and aesthetic Kintsugi gold restauration. It comes with its originally signed and sealed wood box and signed and sealed authentication documents.

Size: 3,1'' height x 5 '' in diameter.

Shipping included.

The first Hagi wares, a glazed, high-fired stoneware, originated with the Korean potter Li Kyong. He was brought back to Japan by Lord Mori Terumoto after the invasion of Korea in 1593. Many potting centers in Western Japan, such as Agano, Takatori and Satsuma, date their beginnings to the same period and for the same reasons. Local daimyo were not only focused on war activities but also on the world in a chashitsu (tea hut) and were intent on setting up potteries to supply the needed chadogu (tea utensils). Li made pots in the same manner of Korean peasant bowls, those which later came to be called Ido Chawan. He changed his name to Koraizaemon and took the family name Saka; this potting dynasty is still active in Hagi today. In the year Kanbun 3 (1663) a new kiln was founded near Hagi in Matsumoto by the first Kyusetsu, Miwa Chubei Toshisada. Both his and the Saka family served the Mori daimyo until the Meiji Restoration (1868).

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Awesome Japanese Shino-Oribe Chawan 750 $

We present another awesome Shino-Oribe Chawan from our collection: Greyish-whithe glaze amalgamates with a wild and roughly thrown body and a still vivid and strong glaze. It is very heavy for a tea bowl, almost 500g. Please note that there is also an interesting kiln mark.

The chawan dates from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) and comes with a very good wood box.

Size: 3,7'' height x 5,3'' in diameter. No chips, cracks, repairs.

Shipping included

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Antique Tenmoku Chawan with Namako Glaze 450 $

Very fine example of a Japanese Kiyomizu Tenmoku Chawan with aesthetic Namako (sea cucumber) glaze. It was made around 1900 and is in perfect antique condition. No chips, cracks or repairs.

Size: 7,1 cm height x 13 cm in diameter. Wooden box available for 30 USD.

Shipping included

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Shiro Hira Raku Chawan by greatest Kichizaemon Konyu XII 4500 $ sold

One of a kind! Wonderful Shiro-Hira Raku Natsu (Summer) Chawan made and sealed by greatest Kichizaemon Konyu XII.

The wooden box has an attestation written by Sokuchusai, the 13th Omotesenke master. The chawan is named shira-kumo, white clouds.

No chips or cracks except natural inborn and intended kiln cracks for a great wabi-sabi aura.

Born 1857 as the eldest son of Keinyû, he succeeded as the 12th generation in 1871 at the age of 15. He took the name of Kônyû at his retirement in 1919. He was confronted with difficulties together with his father when he succeeded to the house, since the tea cult was still in decline at the dawn of the modernization of the Meiji period. His stylistic characteristics are less varied, and his work is over all rather reserved, though the use of trimming to the decorative effect as well as his red Raku glaze, varied in tone and shade, is highly characteristic of Kônyû's work.

Size: 6,2 cm height x 13,2 cm in diameter.

Shipping included.

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Premium Raku Chawan by greatest Konyu Kichizaemon XII sold

One of the best tea bowls I have ever seen. Wonderful Raku Chawan in the style of Donyu (Nonko III) Kichizaemon, made by greatest Konyu Kichizaemon XII. We purchased this chawan in 2001 at the Christie's auction in the Rockefeller Plaza in New York for 7000 USD plus 30% tax and import fee for the German Custom's.

It comes with its originally signed and sealed wooden box. Hakogaki on the side of the box declares: Kuro Raku Chawan signed Konyu Kichizaemon XII. Hakogaki on the inside lid: Kichizaemon tsukuru, Kuro Raku Chawan. Kao says: Kichizaemon made this black Raku tea bowl, kao signature of the 12th generation head of the Yabunouchi school of tea.

No chips or repairs.

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