Finishing Touch Tea Bowl by Ogawa Bunsai

Width: 14.0cm x 14.0cm Height: 8.5cm

The beauty of the finishing touch , a moment of tranquility - Garyuten Hare Tea Bowl, by Ogawa Bunsai (Ko) VI

This " Garushi-tenshin " tea bowl by Ogawa Bunsai (Kyo) VI is a bowl filled with lively energy, as if a section of an ink painting had been copied onto the shape of the vessel. The entire bowl is covered in the subdued astringency of ash glaze, and exudes a quiet, simple beauty. However, the blue glaze decoration that flows from the rim to the inside of the bowl appears as a vivid " finish " in this tranquility, truly embodying the true meaning of the phrase " garushi-tenshin ."

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

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

The beauty of this restrained earth is by no means modest. The blank space is completed only when the user pours tea into this vessel, and as it interacts with the color of the tea, the steam from the water, and each step of the brewing process, it creates a new landscape, endowing it with the beauty of a "passive art."

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

Amid this tranquil world, a drop of blue glaze flows vividly from the rim. The color emerges as blue and green intersect, and chance and necessity coexist in each 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 never completely predictable. The glaze melts, flows, stops, and hardens in the kiln. All of that time is condensed into a single drop.

The resulting blue glaze patterns resemble tree bark retaining the afterglow of rain or mist on the ridges of distant mountains, creating a poetic expression that leaves room for interpretation to the viewer with each viewing.

Harmony of form and function - architectural balance within reach

The design of this tea bowl has gentle proportions, with a slightly open rim that tapers towards the base. In contrast to the soft fullness of the "Emerald Green Tea Bowl" introduced earlier, 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, firmly supporting the vessel's "center of gravity" both visually and sculpturally. When in use, it fits comfortably in the hand, and the rim is neither too thin nor too thick, making it a practical finish. This extremely high level of balance between the beauty of the vessel as a vessel to be "looked at" and the functionality of the vessel as a vessel to be "used" is perhaps the true essence of Bunzaigama.

A ceramics philosophy that aims for " finishing "

In the pottery of the sixth 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 piece is vivid yet somehow tranquil, acting as a medium that bridges stillness and movement, cold and warmth, sky and sea, and the mind and nature.

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

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

When this tea bowl is placed in a tea room, its calming ash glaze surface quietly resonates with the colors of the alcove and walls, bringing a sense of stillness and tension to the entire space. A single drop of blue glaze imparts a subtle movement to the space, moving the "ki" (energy) 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.

A story in a bowl, a universe in a drop

The " Garushi-tenshin Tea Bowl" is a work that symbolizes the state of "harmony of color, form, and spirit" that the 6th generation Ogawa Bunsai (Oki) achieved after long 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 to us.

This bowl resonates with the viewer, blends in with the user's movements, and brings a ray of tension and color to the space. It exudes a presence reminiscent of a painted dragon, making it a masterpiece of modern Kyoto ware.

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