Straw Ash Glazed Four Gentlemen's Sake Cup by Kosai Miyagawa

Height: 4.5cm Width: 6.0cm

A conversation with Kosai Miyagawa

"Straw Ash Glazed Four Gentlemen Sake Cup Miyagawa Kosai" is a masterpiece that combines the traditions of Kyoto ware with the techniques of the Miyagawa family. The four gentlemen are orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum, which have long been revered as symbols of gentlemanhood and have been depicted in Oriental art as symbolic designs that represent the ideals of literati. The orchid's elegant and subtle fragrance, bamboo's supple yet strong nature, the chrysanthemum's ability to bloom while enduring the cold of autumn, and the plum's vitality as the first to bloom even in the snow all express the virtues that a gentleman should possess.

The Four Gentlemen motif has been used widely since ancient times as a subject for paintings and crafts, especially Oriental ceramics, but on the "Straw Ash Glazed Four Gentlemen Sake Cup", they are painted with delicate and sophisticated techniques. The motifs of the Four Gentlemen on this cup are elegantly arranged all over the vessel, giving the viewer a sense of the changing seasons and the beauty of nature.

Originally, in Chinese, the word "junzi" refers to a person who is virtuous, knowledgeable, and well-mannered, and all literati aspired to become gentlemen. The characteristics of the four plants, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum, are similar to the traits of a gentleman, and so they have become representative subjects for literati paintings. Orchids have a subtle fragrance and elegance, while bamboo remains green and straight even in the cold winter, without shedding its leaves. Plums are loved for their toughness, as they are the first to bloom in the snow in early spring, and chrysanthemums for their vivid blooms in the cold of late autumn. Due to their elegant beauty, they have often been used as subjects for Oriental paintings since the Song Dynasty in China, and are subjects throughout the four seasons: orchids in spring, bamboo in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn, and plums in winter. In addition, because you can learn all the basic brush strokes required to paint these four plants, they are important materials for learning painting techniques, just like the eight methods of the Yong character when learning calligraphy. As one of the subjects for painting, it refers to the four: bamboo, plum, orchid, and chrysanthemum. The name comes from the fact that they are noble and gentlemanly in appearance, and although they have been depicted individually since the Song Dynasty in China, the name "Four Gentlemen" first came from Chen Jiryu's "Four Compendiums of Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum" of the Ming Dynasty. They are also popular as designs for furnishings and clothing.

"Wara-hai glaze" is a glaze that has been passed down for generations by the Miyagawa Kosai family, the head of the Makuzu ware family, and its characteristic bluish milky luster gives the entire vessel a soft and elegant texture. This glaze makes the design of the four gentlemen stand out even more, giving the entire vessel a sense of elegance and depth. Even with the same glaze, the color tone can vary slightly depending on the clay used, resulting in a different feel for each vessel, which is also the appeal of straw-hai glaze.

The "Wara-hai-yu Shi-no-shi Sake Cup" reflects the traditions of the Miyagawa Kosai family and incorporates techniques copied from Ninsei and Kenzan, making it a work that can be said to be the culmination of the Miyagawa family's long history and outstanding techniques. Influenced by Kyoto ware that copied the styles of Nonomura Ninsei and Ogata Kenzan, this cup, which is inventive and creative, will continue to be loved for generations to come.

The history of the Miyagawa Kosai family, head of the Kyoto ware family, dates back to the Jokyo era (1684-1687). The first Miyagawa Kosai made his living as a potter in front of Chion-in Temple, and the Miyagawa family has inherited Makkuzu ware for over 330 years. Throughout their long history, the Miyagawa family has adopted various styles according to the era, producing a wide variety of pottery such as sencha tea utensils and tea ceremony utensils. And the tradition has been handed down uninterrupted to Miyagawa Kosai, the seventh head of Makkuzu.

The "Straw Ash Glazed Four Gentlemen's Cup" is a masterpiece that encapsulates the rich tradition and history of the Miyagawa family, and is a beautiful piece that will further enhance the space of a Japanese-style room and also look great in modern interiors.