An Antique Karatsu Amigasa Tea Bowl with Shifuku
- Artist:
- —
- Era:
- Edo
- Price:
- $1,750
- Inquire:
- Contact gallery
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Minimalistic, elegant, and exceptionally light in the hand, this antique Karatsu tea bowl displays an impressive milky ash glaze that descends towards the foot, passing a prominent stone burst that gives the surface a particularly expressive character. Thinly potted walls rise to a gently undulating rim, its asymmetry echoed in the bowl’s softly compressed outline. Fine speckling, subtle variations in glaze thickness, and visible throwing lines create a surface that rewards close inspection.
Developed in northern Kyūshū during the late sixteenth century, Karatsu pottery owes much to Korean ceramic techniques and has long occupied an important place in Japanese tea culture. Its appeal rests in the relationship between clay, glaze, and firing: modest materials acquire character through irregular form, exposed earth, and the movement of glaze across the surface. In muji, or undecorated, Karatsu, these qualities provide the principal visual interest, expressing the restraint and rustic simplicity prized in the practice of wabi tea.
An example of the amigasa, or woven-hat form, this bowl stands approximately 2.8 inches high (7 cm), with an irregular mouth measuring 4.3–5.1 inches across (11–12.9 cm) and a foot diameter of 1.8 inches (4.5 cm). It is in excellent condition, with the stone burst and flowing glaze forming part of its distinctive firing character. The bowl is accompanied by a custom made period wooden storage box (one slat missing on the underside of the box lid) and a custom fitted silk pouch (shifuku) with striped and geometric fabric combining muted rose, ochre, indigo, and green, secured with purple cords.
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