An Iconic Hakeme Tea Bowl by Raku XI (Keinyu)
- Artist:
- Raku XI (Keinyu)
- Era:
- Late Edo
- Price:
- SOLD
- Inquire:
- Contact gallery
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This exceptional tea bowl was crafted by one of the great masters of Japanese pottery and given the poetic name “Nami” (wave) by a famous tea master of the Ura-senke school of tea. The Chinese character is not the standard writing for wave but rather one with more nuance, suggesting longevity—as in the image of a long enduring cresting wave. The white hakeme brush strokes and the overall shape of the tea vessel fit perfectly with its poetic name, making this ceremonial tea bowl perfect for anyone who has a deep appreciation for the power and majesty of the ocean.
Apart from being expertly formed and bestowed with symbolic imagery, this piece has the added distinction of being created by Raku XI Keinyu（1817-1902) the 11th in an unbroken line of artisans stretching back over 450 years. Keinyu was adopted into the Raku family after marrying the daughter of the 10th Kichizaemon, thereupon becoming torchbearer for the most noted and celebrated tradition of pottery within the world of Japanese tea. One of Keinyu’s finest creations, this tea bowl highlights his honed sense of proportion, his versatility as a potter, and his ability to capture the forces of nature within a body of clay.
In excellent antique condition this piece is 4.5 inches (11.5 cm) at its widest point and stands 2.4 inches tall (6 cm). It comes with its original box signed and sealed by Raku Kichizaemon Keinyu and this same seal can be seen impressed into the base of the tea bowl. In addition to the excellent documentation by the craftsman, it has the endorsement of the 14th generation Iemoto (tea master) of the Ura-senke school of tea, Sen Soushitsu (1893–1964) and a separate box bears his signature along with the poetic name he granted to this tea bowl. Both of these boxes are housed together in a third box known as a “megane hako” or “glasses box,” so-named due to its side-by-side orientation, similar to the way lenses on a pair of glasses are arranged.
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