tea bowl

Makoto Hatori 1947

Summary

Cylindrical, handle-less cup with visible throwing rings, curving base and circular footring. Deep red/brown colour with irregular patches of lighter brown and pale sheen, resulting from the formation of a light ash glaze during a traditional Bizen wood firing.

Display Label

Bizen ware (ash-fired stoneware) tea bowl circa 1994 Makoto Hatori This handcrafted teabowl embodies the Japanese philosophy of wabi – the appreciation of the beauty of humble everyday objects, the rustic and the handmade. The Japanese tea ceremony, established in the 1500s by the philosopher Sen No Rikyu is a ritualised expression of wabi. Guests to the tea ceremony must bend to enter the tea house through a low doorway, leaving their swords at the door and literally adopting an attitude of humility. Rikyu intended the tea ceremony to be open to all, regardless of social status or gender. Gift of the artist 1994.48