13 Straw Ash Glazed Spring Night Tea Bowl by Kosai Miyagawa

Height: 7.0cm Width: 12.0cm

This matcha bowl symbolizes the stillness and elegance of a spring night, and is a work that combines delicate beauty with the dignity of a tea ceremony utensil. A faint moon pattern is painted on the inside of the bowl around the tea cloth print, evoking the calm and quiet atmosphere of a spring night. This moon pattern enhances the quiet beauty of the bowl, making it both practical and artistic as a matcha bowl.

The beauty and characteristics of straw ash glaze

The entire bowl is generously coated with the Miyagawa Kosai family's unique straw ash glaze. Straw ash glaze is made from burnt rice straw and turned to ash, giving it a unique texture with a soft, bluish milky white color. This glaze symbolizes the Miyagawa family's long history in Makuzu ware and is a precious technique that has been handed down from generation to generation.

Straw ash glaze is a glaze that shows different expressions depending on the clay and firing temperature. In this "Spring Night Tea Bowl," a faint blue shines through the mellow milky white color, creating a fantastic atmosphere like the moon floating in the spring night sky. This elegance and soft color is one of the charms of Makuzu ware.

The history of Makuzu ware and the techniques of the Miyagawa family

Makkuzu ware inherits the traditional techniques of Kyoto ware, and one of its most distinctive techniques is the use of straw ash glaze. This glazing technique was originally used by Nonomura Ninsei, the founder of Kyoto ware, but it was further developed by Miyagawa Chozo, a master craftsman of Makkuzu ware. Since then, straw ash glaze has been frequently used in Makkuzu ware pieces, and it has been passed down as a representative technique of the Miyagawa family.

The history of Makzu ware dates back to the Jokyo era (1684-1687) of the Edo period. It began when Yukan Miyagawa Kobee Masakazu began making pottery in front of the Chion-in Temple gates, and the Miyagawa family has handed down its pottery techniques for over 330 years. Master craftsmen such as Chozo and Kozan have supported the Miyagawa family, and continue to produce pieces that are in line with the times, such as tea utensils and sencha tea utensils.

The significance and role of tea utensils

"Straw Ash Glazed Spring Night Tea Bowl by Miyagawa Kosai" is not just a work of art, but also a practical piece of tea utensil. It was made with the intention of using it as a matcha bowl in tea ceremony ceremonies, and its soft texture and elegance give it an even more elegant feel when used at a tea ceremony. In particular, the moon pattern on the surface of the bowl is an object of appreciation during the tea ceremony, further enhancing the atmosphere of the tea room.

International recognition and inheritance for the future

The Miyagawa family's Makuzu ware pieces are highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas, and the "Straw Ash Glazed Spring Night Tea Bowl" is one example. Miyagawa Kosai's works are housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Japanese Government Delegation to UNESCO in Paris, attracting attention from tea ceremony enthusiasts around the world. The 330-year-old tradition and technique of Makuzu ware will continue to be passed down to future generations and will continue to be loved by many people. "Straw Ash Glazed Spring Night Tea Bowl Miyagawa Kosai" is a piece that expresses the straw ash glaze technique that the Miyagawa family is proud of and the quiet beauty of a spring night. This matcha bowl is not only practical as a tea utensil, but also has high value as a work of art, and is a piece that deeply moves the viewer. It inherits the tradition of Makuzu ware and is a masterpiece that will be remembered for the future, and will continue to be loved by many tea ceremony enthusiasts in the future.