Artist unknown, Japanese

A Shino Tea Bowl (志野茶碗)

Year 1934, Spring (昭和甲戌 春) 

About the work

A shallow Shino tea bowl with a softly irregular outline and a pale, richly crackled glaze. The broad, low profile offers a clear view of the interior, while the rounded sides give the vessel an intimate, tactile character.

The creamy white surface is crossed by fine warm brown lines, forming an extensive network over the body and inside the bowl. Small changes in colour and glaze thickness soften the pattern. A darker patch near the rim introduces a distinct accent against the light ground.

Below, the body narrows towards a broad, darker foot, providing a visual foundation for the pale upper section. The contrast between glazed surface and exposed clay is an important part of the bowl’s appearance. A maker’s mark is pictured, although its authorship has not been securely resolved.

Accompanied by a wooden box inscribed with a reflection on seventy-one years lived “as if in a dream” and gratitude for a happy occasion. The writer records presenting a tea bowl of his own making as a commemorative gift. The inscription dates the presentation to spring 1934 (昭和甲戌 春) and gives the bowl a personal commemorative context.

Dimensions

6.5cm(h) x 13.4cm(w) x 13.2cm(d)