Matcha Bowl - Yukiwa Kinsai Chawan - Snow Rings
An evenly thrown bowl in ivory, satin on the outside and glossy within, standing on a low, plain, neatly turned ring foot. The rim is thin and true.
The decoration is yukiwa (雪輪), the snow-ring: a scalloped circle notched at its edge, one of the oldest and most useful shapes in Japanese design. It is usually called a snow crystal, though it appears in designs long before anyone in Japan looked closely at snow. Here the rings are set in overlapping pairs, one drawn in fine sepia line, one filled in gold, with a gold thread at the rim.
Kinsai (金彩), gold decoration, is applied after the glaze firing and fired again at lower heat, which is why it sits on the surface with its own quiet lustre.
It is a compact size that works for usucha (thin tea), and for small daily ceremonies.
Specifications:
- Style: Kyō-yaki (京焼) with kinsai (金彩) gold decoration
- Decoration: yukiwa (雪輪) snow-rings in gold and sepia outline, gold line at rim
- Glaze: ivory, satin outside, glossy inside, no visible crazing
- Size: approx. 11.5cm across the mouth, 8cm high
- Condition: vintage, unused, from long-term storage
- Supplied with: a WAZA cloth with vintage cardboard box
- Attribution: Kiln unidentified