Ogasawara Tōemon VII (七代小笠原藤右衛門), Japanese, b. 1943

A Nabeshima Celadon Tea Bowl (鍋島青磁茶碗)

Shōwa Era (1926–1989) or Heisei Era (1989–2019)

About the work

A softly coloured Nabeshima celadon tea bowl by the seventh generation Ogasawara Tōemon, displaying a pale blue-green glaze with a pronounced network of crackle lines. Its broad, open form allows both the interior and exterior surfaces to be appreciated.

The rounded sides rise from a compact foot towards a gently spreading rim. A slightly fuller band beneath the mouth gives the upper edge definition, while the lower body curves smoothly inward. These transitions create a balanced silhouette appropriate to the intimacy of a tea bowl.

The glaze shifts between cooler blue-green and paler creamy passages, with darker crackle lines forming irregular geometric shapes across the surface. Along the rim, warmer tones provide a subtle boundary. The interior continues the same glaze treatment, creating a coherent appearance when the bowl is viewed from above.

The contrast between the simple form and intricate glaze pattern gives the piece its quiet decorative strength. Accompanied by its original wooden box, wrapping cloth and artist leaflet.

Dimensions

7.5cm(h) x 14.2cm(w)

Footnote

The seventh Ogasawara Tōemon, whose personal name is Eiji (栄次), was born in 1943. He inherited a family ceramic tradition rooted in the Nabeshima domain’s official workshops at Ōkawachiyama, near Imari. The family continued producing porcelain after the abolition of the domain, preserving its specialist techniques while developing work for later audiences. Eiji studied historical ceramics and investigated the Chinese and Korean sources of Nabeshima ware. In 1984, he established the Ogasawara Rozan Tōemon Kiln at Ōkawachiyama. His practice belongs to a lineage particularly associated with refined porcelain and Nabeshima celadon.