Rakusai - Tea bowl - Porcelain

A fine example of Shigaraki ware (Shigaraki-yaki), one of Japan's oldest and most celebrated ceramic traditions originating in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture. This wood-kiln-fired stoneware matcha tea bowl (chawan) is attributed to the late Showa through Heisei period, approximately 1970s–2000s, and exemplifies the aesthetic qualities most prized in this tradition: a coarse, iron-rich clay body scattered with feldspar and quartz inclusions, a warm scarlet hi-iro (fire color) enveloping the exterior, and a naturalistic diagonal flow of bidoro (natural ash glaze) that lends the piece its distinctive scenic quality. The wheel-thrown form features a gently asymmetric, slightly inward-turning rim consistent with wabi-cha ideals, a tall foot ring with natural trimming marks, and an unglazed interior base with a surface well-suited to the preparation of matcha.

The bowl is housed in a paulownia wood (kiri) storage box bearing a brushwork inscription in a confident mix of regular (kaisho) and semi-cursive (gyosho) script. The inscription reads Shigaraki-gama Chawan on the right column, with the signature Rakusai and a red seal to the lower left. The ink tone and box construction are consistent with the estimated period of production. Condition is assessed as good, with no chips, cracks, hairlines, or evidence of restoration.

This lot is of interest to collectors of Japanese ceramics, practitioners of chado (the Way of Tea), and those drawn to the mingei (folk craft) aesthetic. The piece ships from Japan in full compliance with international cultural property regulations.