Six gourd tea bowl Rakusai Ozai

Width: 12.5cm Height: 7.4cm

This piece, created by Onishi Rakusai, features six gourds arranged in one bowl, creating an auspicious design that combines the words "good health" and "six gourds = good health." The elegant row of gourds painted in gold and color on a pale blue glaze speaks of both auspiciousness and elegance. Below, we will explain its appeal from five perspectives.

1. Shape and glaze

Stable body <br data-start="229" data-end="232">The slightly thick, bulging body gently rises from the inside to the rim, creating ideal proportions for the matcha to gently ripple.

The tranquility of pale blue glaze <br data-start="319" data-end="322">The body is enveloped in a transparent glaze that contains a slight blue-gray tint. Fine crazes appear during firing, creating a tranquil scene reminiscent of thin ice in early spring. The green of the matcha is reflected in the glaze, making the pale blue stand out even more, allowing you to enjoy the feeling that the vessel and the tea are one.

2. Design - The World of Six Gourds of Health

Gourds and Braided Cord <br data-start="468" data-end="471">The six gourds feature designs of pine and bamboo painted in thick paint on a gold background, and the scarlet diamond-patterned braided cord entangled within creates a sense of continuity and movement. Since ancient times, gourds have been considered a symbol of prosperity and wealth because they bear many seeds, and when all six are lined up together, it is the ultimate auspicious image, as the wordplay for "good health" (no illness or disaster) is used.

The joy of changing pictures <br data-start="610" data-end="613">As the bowl is rotated, three types of gourds - gold, silver and plain - appear alternately, and their shine changes depending on how the light hits them. As the host rotates the bowl, he can create space for a conversation with his guests about "where the sixth gourd is hiding."

3. Techniques - The brilliance and sophistication of Kyoto ware

Gold lining
The brilliance seen in gold leaf is achieved by "kinrande," a technique in which overglaze pigments containing gold are baked at a low temperature (approximately 800°C). The luster is partially integrated into the glaze surface, making it durable and resistant to peeling.

Layers of colored paint <br data-start="847" data-end="850">The pine tree inside the gourd is painted in two layers of verdigris and ochre, emphasizing its three-dimensional appearance. Fine lines are delicately drawn with iron pigment, suppressing fluctuations in the brushstrokes and maintaining a neat outline.

Combination of crazing <br data-start="934" data-end="937">The crazing running underneath the painting catches the sparkle of the gold, and the mesh pattern appears faintly depending on the light, creating a contrast of "stillness and movement."

4. Functional beauty at the tea ceremony

The harmony between the white and green of the inside <br data-start="1037" data-end="1040">The inside is uniformly covered in a pale blue glaze, and the green of the matcha shines through like a mirror. The tea whisk hits it smoothly, creating a fine, even froth.

Stories that bestow good fortune <br data-start="1118" data-end="1121">The six gourds design has special significance at celebratory tea ceremonies such as the first tea ceremony of the year, birthdays, and celebrations of recovery. As the host turns the teacup, he can deepen the conversation with his guests by sharing anecdotes such as, "The gourd was Hideyoshi's horse banner, and also a tool used by Sen no Rikyu for his water bottle."

5. Cultural background and modernity

Gourds have been widely used as motifs for tea ceremony utensils and Noh costumes since the Azuchi-Momoyama period, but this work also depicts pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms within the gourd, creating a ensemble of auspicious symbols. While building on the idiom of traditional "kinrande Kyo-yaki," Onishi Rakusai has adopted a modern color tone, a pale blue glaze, elevating it into a contemporary tea bowl that combines lightness and elegance.

The dynamic movement of the six gourds in a row, and the tranquil glow of the gold and pale blue glazes - this is a rare tea bowl that simultaneously celebrates "blessing" and "tranquility." When placed at a tea ceremony, guests will sense the prayer for good health and prosperity contained within the bowl, and will enjoy a blissful moment savoring a cup of matcha while narrating this auspicious story.

A conversation with Rakusai Onishi