Akahada Ware Tea Bowl with Nara-e Painting — Shozan Oshio IV Historical Context Akahada ware emerges from the ancient city of Nara, where ceramic production traces its roots to the Kofun period and the tradition of haniwa earthenware. In the Momoyama era, Lord Hidenaga Toyotomi — younger brother of the great unifier Hideyoshi — commissioned tea vessels from the red clay hills of Gojo-yama. The kiln grew under the patronage of the Koriyama domain's Yanagisawa clan, and in time earned its place among the celebrated Enshu Shichigama — the seven kilns favored by the tea master Kobori Enshu. What distinguishes Akahada ware is its milky-white ash glaze, developed so that the green of whisked matcha stands out against the pale, warm surface. Over that ground, artisans apply Nara-e: narrative paintings derived from the illustrated sutra Einga-kyo, transformed across centuries into scenes of deer, classical figures, and the landscapes of the ancient capital. The Shozan kiln, one of only six certified Akahada ware kilns active today in Nara Prefecture, carries this tradition across four generations. Aesthetic & Tactile Details Two fine red lines circle the bowl — one near the rim, one below — and between them the Nara-e painting unfolds. Abstracted human figures rendered in deep iron-red move across the surface with quiet rhythm. Small dots of color — blue, red, orange — punctuate the composition, adding lightness without interrupting the flow. The glaze settles into a warm cream-white, neither stark nor cold, that shifts subtly in different light. The form is rounded and inviting, rising from a modest foot ring with a gentle outward flare at the rim — a shape that holds naturally in the hands. Inside, the matcha-damari — the slight hollow at the bowl's center — deepens the inner space. The tomobako bears a personal inscription recording a wedding commemoration in October 1995 — the very year the fourth-generation Shozan Oshio assumed his hereditary title. A bowl made to mark a union, kept with care across three decades. Two beginnings recorded in a single object. Artist Profile Shozan Oshio (大塩昭山) is a hereditary title held by the master potter of the Shozan kiln, one of the six certified Akahada ware kilns recognized by Nara Prefecture. The lineage spans four generations: The first Shozan built the kiln's technical foundation as a craftsman of fine detail. The second excelled in wheel-thrown forms. The third established the kiln's signature Nara-e painting style. The fourth — born in 1960, graduated from Osaka University of Arts, designated a Nara Prefecture Traditional Craft Master in 2013 — assumed his title in 1995 and continues to push the tradition while preserving its inherited techniques. The Shozan kiln remains the only Akahada ware workshop where both the lead artist and studio craftspeople hold official Traditional Craft Master certification. Firing is carried out in both electric kilns and the kiln's rare surviving noborigama — a wood-fired climbing kiln — the results of which produce depth of glaze color that electric firing cannot replicate. Condition & Specifications Condition: Excellent for age. No chips, cracks, or restoration. While this is a vintage piece, it shows no visible signs of use and retains its original appearance in outstanding condition. Dimensions: H 7.2 cm × D 13.0 cm Weight: 279 g (bowl only); 535 g (with tomobako) Provenance: Signed and sealed on the kodai; accompanied by original tomobako signed by the artist, with inscription recording a wedding commemoration — the names of the couple and the date October 1995 (Heisei 7) — written on the box lid. Shipping Information: This item is shipped via Japan Post EMS as our standard shipping method. 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