Karatsu Teabowl

This is a Kofuku tea bowl of plain (muji) Karatsu ware that is believed to have been excavated and subsequently preserved through generations. Karatsu ware originated when Korean potters, brought to Japan during Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Bunroku and Keichō campaigns in Korea, began producing ceramics in the Karatsu region of Hizen province. It was vigorously produced during the relatively brief period of roughly thirty years before porcelain production commenced in Imari, and individual kilns developed their own distinctive characteristics in clay body, glaze, and decoration.
This example is covered with a glaze possessing a slightly straw-ash tone, while the clay body is composed of a firm, reddish clay rich in iron content. These features suggest that it was produced at the Uchida Saraya kiln.
The naturally formed shape, created as potters worked with complete absorption while producing hundreds of bowls in a single day, together with the spontaneous glaze effects produced by the firing, exemplifies an aesthetic of effortless simplicity. It is precisely this absence of conscious artifice that forms a large part of the bowl’s appeal.
Having been excavated and handed down through generations, the bowl has undergone a small kintsugi repair to a minor chip, yet remains remarkably intact overall. It is a work that overflows with the distinctive charm of Ko-Karatsu ware. The bowl’s kofuku size adds further appeal, making it well suited for nodate (outdoor tea ceremony).