Nara-e tea bowl by Rakusai Onishi

Width: 14.0cm Height: 7.0cm

At a glance, Onishi Rakusai's Narae tea bowls invite us into a world where elegance and grace intersect. The rustic appearance of the white-finished gray base, which is then glazed and fired, creates a texture that gives the bowl a "wabi-sabi" feel. The vivid, highly colored Narae paintings on the bowl are a contemporary reinterpretation of the "coexistence of roughness and elegance" that tea masters have loved since ancient times.

Shape and glaze

The bowl has a slightly taut shape, while the neat form tapers gently towards the base, creating an outline that is perfect for the gentle undulations of the matcha tea. The outside has faintly visible rough clay particles, while the inside has a soft, melted milky white glaze, creating a Tenmoku-like appearance. The light brown scorch around the rim is a natural brushstroke caused by kiln changes, and combined with its light handling, it adds depth to the expression when handled during the tea ceremony.

Design of Narae painting

Narae refers to Yamato-e style illustrations that became popular from the end of the Muromachi period to the beginning of the Edo period, and are characterized by a fairy tale-like and narrative warmth. This work depicts a scene in which a nobleman in a crimson robe is resting in a small royal boat, with pine and plum trees as dots in the background. The evergreen pine symbolizes "immutability," while the white dotted plum blossoms symbolize "rebirth." The figure of the nobleman alludes to elegant court culture, bringing both the seasons and a narrative quality to the tea ceremony. The combination of the three primary colors of the dark green pine needles, the crimson robe, and the ultramarine blue boat base is calculated to bring out the green of the matcha as an accent color.

Technique and brushwork

Onishi Rakusai uses a traditional technique of taking only the top layer of pigment and thinning the tip of the brush to the limit. The lines are gentle but the outlines are stable, and the plum blossoms, drawn with fine dots, are intricate enough to be reminiscent of Kenzan's gosu pointillism. In addition, he also sneaks a small amount of iron painting under the overpainting, and the iron dissolves during the kiln firing process, giving the coloring depth.

Functional beauty at the tea ceremony

The most important balance of a matcha bowl is excellent, and the smooth touch of the tea whisk creates good foam, and the matcha remaining in the bowl looks like the moon's reflection on the lake. The design on the outside is for welcoming guests, and the white glaze on the inside is for the host who prepares the tea, so there are two ways to appreciate the bowl, which also enhances its perfection as a tea ceremony utensil.

Historical and cultural significance

Nara-e tea bowls embody the comprehensive artistry of Momoyama pottery by combining the "tile-like earthenware" favored by Furuta Oribe and Kobori Enshu with the "elegance of picture scrolls." Onishi Rakusai has transferred that spirit to the present day, vividly reviving the afterglow of Muromachi picture scrolls by giving the painting a transparent feel while retaining the earthenware.

Overall, this is an outstanding piece that blends the texture of the rough clay with the gorgeous coloring, and blends classical imagery with a modern sensibility, satisfying both the "beauty of utility" and "beauty that tells a story" required of tea utensils. If placed at a tea ceremony, it will go beyond being a simple piece of utensil and will become the center of conversation about its history and provenance.

A conversation with Rakusai Onishi