Tea bowl

Object Details

• Artist

  Attributed to Kinkozan Sobei workshop

• Description

  Tea bowl, ovoidal; low retired foot.

  Clay: fine, hard, gray.

  Glaze: mirror-black, iridescent; brown rim

• Label

  This simple bowl, attributed to one of the major workships in the Awataguchi district of eastern Kyoto, examplifies the high standard of workmanship of which Kyoto potters were justly proud. The shape and glaze are based on the classic Chinese Chien ware, or Temmoku, tea bowl. Many large Kyoto temples owned hundreds of such bowls for use in entertaining large groups of guests.

• Provenance

  To 1896

  Rufus E. Moore, New York to 1896 [1]

  From 1896 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Rufus E. Moore in 1896 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 383, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Kyoto Ceramics (November 9, 1984 to April 25, 1985)

  Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art (October 3, 1947 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art, 1946 (May 3, 1946 to October 6, 1947)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Rufus E. Moore (1840-1918) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Awataguchi, Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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  collections.si.edu

• Date

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• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Moore, Rufus E.

• Place

  Kyoto, Japan, Awataguchi, Kyoto prefecture

• Topic

  Tea, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Stoneware, Kyoto ware, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Iridescence, Ceramics

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)