Tea bowl, unknown Raku ware workshop

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    First half 19th century
  • Geography

    Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan
  • Material

    Raku-type pottery with Red Raku glaze
  • Dimension

    H x W: 8.6 x 11.4 cm (3 3/8 x 4 1/2 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1911.392
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1911.392

Object Details

  • Description

    Low cylindrical tea bowl.
    Clay: soft, grayish, Raku type.
    Glaze: brilliant, blended red, pink, yellow, and gray, splashed with greenish-brown and yellow; dull inside.
    Red Raku glaze: red slip under clear glaze. Two spur scars on glazed footrim.
  • Label

    Because red is an auspicious color in East Asia, Red Raku ware was favored for use in serving tea on festive occasions. The deep shape of this bowl, as well as its color, would convey a feeling of warmth, so it was suited to cold-weather use.
  • Provenance

    1911
    Y. Fujita and Company, Kyoto 1911 [1]
    From 1911 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Y. Fujita and Company, Kyoto in 1911 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 2179, 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

    Tea in the Floating World (December 8, 2002 to May 26, 2003)
    Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 1 and 2 (February 25, 1956 to January 1, 1963)
    Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art, 1955 (October 25, 1955 to November 22, 1955)
    Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art, 1951 (January 23, 1951 to February 25, 1956)
    Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Hanging Scrolls, Ceramics, and Sculpture (October 2, 1947 to January 23, 1951)
    Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Ceramics and Painting (May 2, 1946 to October 2, 1947)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Y. Fujita and Company (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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