Suwa Sōzan III (三代 諏訪蘇山), Japanese (1932-2005)

A Celadon Tea Bowl, Named “Kumo Harete” (銘「雲晴れて」青瓷茶碗)

Showa Era (1926-1989) or Heisei Era (1989-2019) 

About the work

An elegant celadon tea bowl by Suwa Sozan III, its gently rounded form covered in a luminous pale blue green glaze. The restrained profile and remarkably even surface allow the subtle depth and translucency of the celadon to take centre stage.

The exterior is decorated with a poetic design of a pale moon emerging above stylised drifting clouds, delicately rendered against the serene celadon ground. The imagery corresponds beautifully with the bowl’s name, Kumo Harete (雲晴れて), meaning “the clouds have cleared”, evoking the appearance of the moon as the sky clears. The understated decoration and cool glaze create an atmosphere of quiet refinement particularly suited to the aesthetics of the Japanese tea ceremony.

The base bears the artist’s mark. The bowl is accompanied by a signed wooden storage box with an inscription by Sōraku Hayami VII (速水宗楽), seventh generation master of the Hayami ryū (速水流) school of tea ceremony, adding an important association with Japanese tea culture.

Dimensions

7.2cm(h) x 12.6cm(w)

Footnote

Suwa Sōzan III was the third-generation successor of the Suwa family, a distinguished lineage of Kyoto potters. The Suwa family is renowned for their masterful blue-and-white porcelain and celadon works, blending traditional Japanese techniques with artistic innovation. As the son of Suwa Sōzan II and a descendant of Nakamura Sūtetsu XII, Suwa Sōzan III carried on the family’s legacy while contributing his own unique vision to the world of Japanese ceramics.