The painting on this lovely tea bowl conjures up visions of taking a stroll on a sunny spring day in Kyoto, watching as the breeze carries away the petals of a fully in-bloom sakura (cherry blossom) tree. The buds and blossoms are painted with precision in an opaque glossy white glaze, their shapes well defined and crisp. The blue and red umbrellas are rendered in soft, watercolor-like tones and have a wonderful sketched-on appearance. The artist has placed wisps of pink color behind the blossoms, which give the design a sense of warmth and add to the bowl’s springtime feel. On the inside of the bowl there are two branches laden with blossoms, along with several errant petals, adding motion to the design and creating the impression of a gentle breeze. A thin gold line nicely accentuates and defines the bowl’s rim. The footring is unglazed, while the rest of the bowl has a glossy clear glaze with a pleasant crackle pattern.
The bowl is crafted from a fine-grained clay in a lovely cream color with a sprinkling of dark flecks. It is light in weight, with a straight-forward shape that is very comfortable to hold. It is slightly pinched in at the waist, a detail that is almost undetectable to the eye, but noticeable in the hand. No matter how one holds the tea bowl this spot is exactly where one’s fingers rest.
All-in-all, this is an exquisitely-painted, spring-themed chawan from the esteemed Zenshoh kiln.
Zenshoh kiln was opened by Zenshoh Yamaoka in 1969. Zenshoh Yamaoka is an officially-designated traditional craftsman who is renowned for his suburb drawing skills.
Please Note: This is a handmade item – slight variations in the painting, colors, tooling, patterning and kiln effects of Chinese and Japanese teawares are to be expected. We have carefully photographed this item as best as possible – please be aware that different device screens can render colors and subtle tones slightly differently.