Finishing touch: Clear tea bowl by Bunsai Ogawa

Width: 14.0cm x 14.0cm Height: 8.5cm

The beauty of a clear sky, a moment of tranquility - A clear sky tea bowl by the 6th Ogawa Bunsai (Kou)

This work, "Ga-ryu Tenbare Tea Bowl" by the 6th Ogawa Bunsai (Kyo), is a bowl full of spirit and vitality, as if a section of a sumi-e painting had been copied onto the shape of the vessel. The entire piece is covered in the subdued astringency of the ash glaze, and is filled with a quiet, simple beauty. However, the blue glaze decoration that flows around the rim appears as a vivid "tenbare" in this silence, and the composition truly embodies the true meaning of the phrase "Ga-ryu Tenbare".

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The beauty of restraint and space - the tranquil world of ash glaze

The base of this tea bowl is finished with a gray glaze with a somewhat rough grain, like cobblestones under a cloudy sky. The surface is uniform but contains subtle fluctuations, creating a sense of tranquility like the "white space" of a sumi-e painting. While expressing tranquility, it does not fall into monotony. It is the spirit of "wabi-sabi" that has been cherished in the tea ceremony.

The beauty of this restrained earth is by no means modest. The space is completed only when the user pours tea into this vessel, and it has the beauty of a "passive art" that creates a new landscape by interacting with the color of the tea, the steam from the water, and each and every gesture of making tea.

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Droplets of blue glaze - "Tensei" brings the painted dragon to life

What appears vividly in this tranquil world is the drop of blue glaze flowing from the rim. The color emerges as blue and green intersect, and chance and inevitability coexist in each and every shade, flow, and stop of the glaze. It is a "brushstroke" that gives a decisive sense of vitality and tension to the overall composition, as if adding the final brushstroke to the dragon's eye.

This drop is a natural phenomenon born from the dialogue between fire and glaze, and also a moment of uncontrollable beauty. It is calculated, yet can never be completely predicted. The glaze melts, flows, stops, and hardens in the kiln. All of that time is condensed into a single drop.

The resulting blue-glazed patterns resemble tree bark retaining the afterglow of rain or the mist on a distant mountain ridge, creating a poetic expression that leaves room for interpretation for the viewer with each viewing.

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Harmony of form and function - architectural balance within reach

The design of this tea bowl has a gentle proportion that tapers from a slightly open rim to the base. In contrast to the soft fullness of the previously introduced "Emerald Green Tea Bowl," this bowl features sharp lines that give it a firm impression. The rim of the bowl is slightly wavy, giving it the appearance of a mountain ridge swaying in the wind.

The red clay base also adds warmth to the overall color tone, and firmly supports the "center of gravity" of the vessel both visually and sculpturally. It fits comfortably in the hand when in use, and the mouth is neither too thin nor too thick, making it a practical finish. This extremely high level of balance between beauty as a vessel to "look at" and functionality as a vessel to "use" is the true essence of Bunzaigama.

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A ceramic philosophy aiming for "Tensei"

In the pottery of the 6th generation Ogawa Bunsai (Oki), color is not simply decoration, but is chosen as a means of expressing the spirit. The blue glaze used in this work is vivid yet somehow tranquil, and serves as a medium that bridges stillness and movement, cold and warmth, sky and sea, and the mind and nature.

Bunsai's creative approach is based on the principle of "creating what he believes to be beautiful with all his might while praying for peace." This tea bowl, born from that philosophy, encapsulates the struggle between restraint and freedom, silence and speech, and chance and inevitability, making it a truly "finishing touch."

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Life dwells in silence - Artistry that shines in the tea room

When this tea bowl is placed in a tea room, its calm gray glaze surface quietly resonates with the color of the tokonoma alcove and the walls, bringing a sense of stillness and tension to the entire space. A single drop of blue glaze gives the space a subtle movement, moving the "ki" as if vibrating the air. A single point of brilliance amidst stillness - this is the secret of Japanese beauty, and it is what this piece embodies.

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A story in a bowl, a universe in a drop

The Garyutenbare Tea Bowl is a work that symbolizes the state of "harmony of color, form, and spirit" that the 6th generation Ogawa Bunsai (Oki) reached after a long period of study. The restrained shape of the vessel, the expression of the glaze, and the final drop of blue that appears there -- all of these things speak silently.

This bowl resonates with the viewer, blends in with the user's movements, and brings a streak of tension and color to the space. It has the presence of a painted dragon and can be called a masterpiece of modern Kyoto ware.

Please pick it up and find your own unique "Tensei".