Yanagihara Mutsuo (柳原睦夫), Japanese, b. 1934

A Kuro-Oribe Gin-sai Chawan (黒織部銀彩碗)

Showa Era (1926-1989), Heisei Era (1989-2019) or Reiwa Era (2019-present)

About the work

This striking tea bowl by Yanagihara Mutsuo exemplifies the artist’s bold reinterpretation of the Oribe tradition. The vessel has a robust cylindrical form with gently rounded walls and a slightly irregular rim, creating a strong yet balanced presence appropriate for use in the tea ceremony.

The surface is finished in a deep, lustrous black glaze that serves as a dramatic ground for sweeping geometric motifs executed in silver decoration (gin-sai). These dynamic angular forms cut across the bowl in layered triangular and linear patterns, recalling the expressive brushwork and asymmetry associated with classical Oribe aesthetics while 8.introducing a distinctly modern sensibility. The metallic accents shimmer subtly against the dark glaze, shifting in tone as the bowl catches the light.

The bowl is accompanied by its original signed wooden storage box (tomobako) and cloth.

Dimensions

6cm(h) x 12.5cm(w)

Footnote

Yanagihara Mutsuo (b. 1934) is celebrated as a pioneer of contemporary Japanese ceramics. Originally intending to study design, he was encouraged by Tomimoto Kenkichi to pursue ceramics at Kyoto City University of Arts, where he trained alongside future Living National Treasures and avant-garde innovators. Time spent in the United States during the 1960s exposed him to Pop Art and modern culture, which reshaped his vision of the ceramic vessel. Drawing on both Sueki forms and modern sculptural language, he developed a style that merges traditional utsuwa with bold, abstract expression. His Oribe works, such as this chawan, embody that synthesis of tradition and innovation.