Kuro Chawan (Kuro Raku Tsutsu Chawan) | Nindosai | Mid-Edo period

黒茶碗（黒樂筒茶碗） | 任土斎 | 江戸時代中期

Size(cm)W10.4H9.8 Wood Box

Work details

I believe this is the kind of tea bowl that someone with a long history of tea practice would want to use when relaxing quietly alone in their later years. While the aesthetic is understated, the craftsmanship is superb, embodying the serene presence unique to Raku ware.

I visited the Raku Museum the other day. A Aka Raku chawan named “Kamuro”, created by Dōnyū, was on display.
It was a magnificent work—the deepest red and most flavorful I had ever seen.
(This is a different piece from the black Raku chawan named “Kamuro” by the first-generation Chōjirō.)
Both are masterpieces among masterpieces.