Black Raku tea bowl, copy of "Shishi" by Raku Do'nyu

Object Details

• Artist

  Raku Ryonyu (1756-1834)

• Description

  Tea-bowl.

  Clay: dense, grayish-white

  Glaze: brilliant black of blue lustre with heavy overflow of same. T-shaped scar.

  Mark. Raku, impressed inside footrim, below and to left of center.

• Marks

  Mark. Impressed inside footrim below and to the left of center

• Label

  This bowl bears the impression of a distinctive “Raku” seal used by Ryonyu, the ninth head of the Raku workshop. Ryonyu paid tribute to the workshop’s third master, Donyu or Nonko (1599–1656), by copying his tea bowl named “Lion.” Donyu had introduced incised decoration and replaced the matte black glaze used on earlier Raku-style bowls with a glossy glaze applied in thick layers.

• Provenance

  To 1901

  Kano Oshima, to 1901 [1]

  From 1900 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Kano Oshima in 1900 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 850, 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

  Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea (December 9, 2023 - ongoing)

  The Potter's Mark: Tea Ceramics and Their Makers (August 18, 2007 to February 24, 2008)

  Freer and Tea II: Raku, Hagi, Karatsu (July 8, 2006 to January 1, 2007)

  The Koetsu Tea Bowl (May 15, 1998 to June 23, 2005)

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

  Japanese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to January 17, 1980)

  Japanese Art (October 2, 1975 to October 8, 1976)

  Japanese Paintings Attributed to Iwasa Matabei (July 1, 1974 to October 1, 1975)

  Japanese Art: Paintings and Pottery (July 1, 1966 to May 2, 1973)

  Japanese Art (January 1, 1963 to July 1, 1966)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 1 and 2 (February 25, 1956 to January 1, 1963)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Kano Oshima (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• On View

  Freer Gallery 20a: Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Kano, Oshima

• Place

  Kyoto, Japan, Kyoto prefecture

• Topic

  Tea, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Copy, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Ceramics, Raku ware

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)

• On View

  Yes