Tea Bowl
OBJECT NUMBER
S1988.54
DATE
ca. 1982, Showa era
ARTIST
Wakao Toshisada (b. 1933)
PLACE OF ORIGIN
Japan
MEDIUM
Mino ware; stoneware with iron slip under feldspathic glaze
DIMENSIONS
H × W × D: 8.6 × 14.4 × 13.8 cm
(3 3/8 × 5 11/16 × 5 7/16 in.)
CREDIT LINE
Purchase—Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds
A delight for both the eyes and the hands, this simple stoneware tea bowl by Wakao Toshisada is one of my favorite pieces in our collections. It was made to be used. I love that these objects, both modern and antique, were intended to be functional.
It is irregular in form, but it has its own sort of natural symmetry. As you move the bowl, the lip rises and falls in a gentle wave, which is echoed by the form along the bottom.
While I obviously won't be drinking from this bowl, it is quite easy to imagine doing so, which makes me appreciate how well it fits into my hand and how comfortable I feel with it.