7 Straw ash glaze medium-sized incense container by Kosai Miyagawa

Height: 2.5cm Width: 9.0cm x 7.0cm

The "Wara-hai-glazed Nakakei incense container by Miyagawa Kosai" is a piece that combines artistic value as a tea ceremony utensil with practicality, and is a piece that highlights the techniques of Makuzu ware that have been passed down through the Miyagawa family. This incense container is based on the motif of a "nakakei" folding fan used by monks at memorial services. It reflects the unique shape of the nakakei, which is a characteristic of the folding fan, and its cultural background as a tea ceremony utensil also has great significance.

Cultural Background of Nakakei

"Nakakei" is a folding fan used by monks at memorial services and ceremonies, and its name comes from the shape of the fan when it opens from the middle. It is called "nakakei" because it does not close completely, but opens halfway. The nakakei is used by monks to hold prayer beads in their left hand and to prevent sutras, prayer beads, etc. from being placed directly on the ground with their right hand. The nakakei, which has both practicality and religious significance, is incorporated into the design of an incense container, further increasing its value as a tea ceremony utensil.

The beauty and appeal of straw ash glaze

The entire incense container is coated with straw ash glaze, a unique glaze of the Miyagawa Kosai family. Straw ash glaze is a technique in which rice straw is burned and turned to ash is used as a glaze, and is characterized by a soft, bluish color and warm texture. This glaze has been passed down through successive generations of Makkuzu ware heads, and the same glaze can take on different expressions, such as a warm reddish color or a cool bluish-white color, depending on the type of clay and firing temperature. The glaze was originally used by Nonomura Ninsei, the founder of Kyo-yaki, and Miyagawa Chozo, the fifth head of the Miyagawa family, was particularly skilled in handling this glaze. Makkuzu ware straw ash glaze pieces are loved by many tea ceremony enthusiasts for their beauty and elegance.

The role of incense containers and their significance in the tea ceremony

An incense container is an important tool used in the tea ceremony as a container for incense during the charcoal preparation. When the charcoal preparation is omitted, the incense container is displayed in the tokonoma alcove, and together with seasonal flowers and hanging scrolls, it becomes an object of appreciation that reflects the host's taste. The "Warahai-yu Chukei Kogo Miyagawa Kosai" also serves not only as an incense container, but also as a decorative item that adds beauty to the tea room.

The history of Makuzu ware and the Miyagawa family

This piece is based on the long history of Makkuzu ware. Its history began in the Jokyo era (1684-1687), when Yukan Miyagawa Kobee Masakazu began making pottery in front of the gates of Chion-in Temple. Makkuzu ware has been passed down through the Miyagawa family for generations, preserving the traditions of Kyoto ware while incorporating new techniques. The fifth generation Miyagawa Chozo opened a kiln in Makkugahara, Higashiyama, and later his fourth son Toranosuke moved to Yokohama and became the first Makkuzu Kozan. The Jihei family also supported Makkuzu ware as a clan that took the name Kosai, and began to produce tea utensils in earnest in 1934. Currently, the seventh generation Miyagawa Kosai continues to preserve the tradition.

International recognition and inheritance for the future

Makuzu ware is highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas, and this work is one example of this. Miyagawa Kosai's works are housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and the Permanent Mission of Japan to UNESCO (Paris), and are loved by tea ceremony enthusiasts around the world. The techniques and aesthetic sense of Makuzu ware, along with the long history of the Miyagawa family, will surely be passed down to future generations. The "Miyagawa Kosai Straw Ash Glazed Nakakei Incense Container" is a practical tool for the tea ceremony, and at the same time, a work of art that has a religious and traditional Japanese cultural significance. This incense container, which combines the unique color of the straw ash glaze with the auspicious design of the Nakakei, shines even more brightly in the tea room or tokonoma, and is appreciated as a work that combines culture and art.