Genkotsu chawan, Japanese Mino tea bowl in black stoneware, Late Edo period

Japanese Mino stoneware tea bowl, genkotsu chawan type ("fist bowl"), dating from the late Edo period. This Mino ware matcha bowl is distinguished by its slightly inward-curving cylindrical body, intentionally deformed by finger pressure on the still-plastic body. The regular indentations give the bowl a taut silhouette, typical of the genkotsu chawan sought after by chanoyu enthusiasts in the 19th century.

The light-colored clay, visible at the high, wide foot, is covered with a thick, ferruginous black glaze. The interior is a deep, matte black, while the exterior is shinier. Against this dark background, splashes of white feldspar form raised patches and drips around the lines of the hollows, creating a vibrant decoration reminiscent of the effects of Karatsu's Somente bowls, interpreted here in the Mino black tradition.

On the reverse, the carefully turned foot displays concentric striations and a small circular workshop stamp impressed on the rim, unattributed but characteristic of Mino tea ceremony pieces. The firing, the black glaze, and the feldspar decoration place this Japanese tea bowl in the Seto-Toki region, around 1830–1850. Some date them to the late 18th century.

In use, the contrast between the slightly grainy black glaze and the intense matcha green highlights the wabi-sabi aesthetic of Mino ceramics. This genkotsu chawan is a statement piece for a collector of Japanese ceramics or for a contemporary interior that appreciates the spirit of chanoyu.

8.2 x 10.6cm