Yakushiji Temple East Pagoda Foundation Clay Ash Glazed Tea Bowl - By Rakusai Onishi
This work by Onishi Rakusai is a tea bowl made with clay from the foundation of the 1,300-year-old Yakushiji East Pagoda, and a glaze made mainly from straw ash that has been gently altered in the kiln. Its appearance, as if the prayers of the ancient pagoda and the land of Yamato are sealed in the palm of your hand, makes it a masterpiece that conveys the essence of wabi-sabi to the modern day. Below, we will introduce its appeal in detail from five perspectives.
1. Clay: A deep earthy taste created by the foundation soil
The ancient clay collected during the repair of the base of the East Pagoda of Yakushiji Temple is rich in iron and silica, and has developed fine mineral crystals over the years. By blending this with Shigaraki-style rough clay, the clay is dotted with stardust-like quartz grains, and even after firing, it retains a rough sandy texture and a deep reddish brown color. The reddish purple of the clay exposed at the bottom contrasts well with the tranquility of the glaze.
II. Ash Glaze and Kiln Change - Milky Drops Painting a Quiet Scene
The straw ash glaze, which is mainly made from straw ash, changes color subtly from amber brown to olive when fired at high temperature, and milky white glaze drops hang like "spills of bush clover" around the rim. These drops are reminiscent of drops of water before dawn or morning dew on the tiles of a pagoda, giving the tea bowl movement and depth.
3. Shape: The neatness of the cylindrical tea bowl and the rhythm of the wheel marks
The rim is slightly curved outwards, and the body is shaped like a nearly vertical cylinder. The subtle wheel marks around the body catch the gentle flow of the ash glaze, creating a visual rhythm reminiscent of the stratification of the foundation stone. The base is carved low, lowering the center of gravity and making it more stable when held in the hand.
4. Ease of use and practicality - Excellent functional beauty with a sense of wabi
The fine particles on the outer surface provide a comfortable resistance to your fingertips, and when you place it in your palm, it stops naturally, giving you a sense of security. The inside of the cup is coated with a mirror-like ash glaze, which softly highlights the green of the matcha and makes it smooth to the touch of the chasen. The bubbles are fine, and the matcha rises to the surface with a soft luster.
5. Cultural Significance - A Bowl Reflecting "Prayer" and "Rebirth"
The East Pagoda of Yakushiji Temple is a masterpiece of architecture known as "frozen music," and its foundation is the cornerstone of faith that continues to support the pagoda. Using foundation soil for this work is an act of sealing in the tea bowl the long history of prayer and rebirth. The serene scenery of the ash glaze simultaneously evokes the silence of Buddhism and the tranquility of the earth, and at the tea ceremony it creates a "crossroads of time" where the past and present resonate with each other through a cup of matcha.
Summary
The light brown ash glaze with milky drops, the sparkle of quartz grains hidden in the clay, and the thousand-year-old prayer of the clay of the foundation of the East Pagoda of Yakushiji Temple - Onishi Rakusai's "Yakushiji East Pagoda Foundation Clay Ash Glazed Tea Bowl" is a gem that combines wabi-sabi and sublimity. If placed at a tea ceremony, guests will enjoy the aroma of matcha and the tranquility of the ancient pagoda, and will be enveloped in the lingering echoes of quiet prayer.
