"Clog-shaped" tea bowl, 1614-1624
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Takatori ware, Uchigaso kiln; glazed stonewareexpand_more
Gift of the Friends of the Instituteexpand_more 2002.141.3
Not on Viewexpand_more
This tea bowl combines a thick, whitish glaze with a translucent amber one on a triangular-shaped form, known in Japanese as a kutsugata chawan, or “clog-shaped tea bowl.” This was a name given to peculiarly shaped tea bowls, which were thought to resemble footwear worn by some Buddhist priests. The combination of this glazing technique and distorted shape is unique to a single kiln, Uchigaso, which was active only between 1614 and 1624. This kiln was one of several in the northeastern area of the island of Kyushu that produced Takatori wares, so called for Mount Takatori located nearby. Early Takatori wares were created primarily by Korean potters who had been relocated to Kyushu by powerful local warlords during two Japanese invasions of the Korean peninsula in the 1590s. These potters’ tea wares, which were quite different from styles prevalent in their native Korea, made a huge splash among Japanese tea aficionados in the distant cities of Kyoto and Sakai.
Details
- Title
- "Clog-shaped" tea bowl
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2002.141.3
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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