- Provenance
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To 1902
Bunkio Matsuki (1867-1940), Boston, to 1902 [1]From 1902 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Bunkio Matsuki in 1902 [2]From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [2]Notes:
[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1115, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
[2] See note 1.
[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
- Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)
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Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
Bunkio Matsuki (C.L. Freer source) 1867-1940
- Description
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Black Raku tea bowl, cylindrical; low, recessed foot.
Clay: dense, grayish. Raku type.
Glaze: dense black with copper-brown mottling.
Pottery with Black Raku glaze; black lacquer repairs.
- Label
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The small size, minimal sculpting, and dull black glaze associate this bowl with the formative phase of Raku tea bowl production in the 1580s, when this type of hand-formed bowl allegedly originated through the collaboration of Chojiro (died 1589), a maker of roof tiles, and Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), the foremost tea master of the day. This bowl does not closely resemble the workmanship associated specifically with Chojiro; it may have been made by another potter in Chojiro's workshop--or even by a completely unrelated workshop. Recent archaeological findings indicate that several different Kyoto workshops were producing such tea bowls. The Raku workshop lasted longest and became best known.
- Published References
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- Hanna Szczepanowska. Conservationof Cultural Heritage: Key Principles and Approaches. .
- Morgan Pitelka. Handmade Culture: Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners in Japan. Honolulu. pl. 2.
- Thomas Kerrigan. Raku. Richmond, VA, Spring 1971. fig. 1.
- Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections. 12 vols., Tokyo. vol. 10, pl. 207.
- James C. Watkins, Paul Andrew Wandless. Alternative Kilns and Firing Techniques: Raku, Saggar, Pit, Barrel., 1st ed. New York. p. 14.
- Beatrice Hohenegger. Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West., 1st ed. New York. p. 45.
- Louise Allison Cort. Early Modern Merchants as Collectors. Abingdon, Oxon England, 12/19/2016. p. 58, fig. 3.5.
- , no. 39 Lexington, Massachusetts, 2018. p.152, fig. 30.
- Richard L. Wilson. The Potter's Brush: The Kenzan Style in Japanese Ceramics. Exh. cat. Washington. p. 158, fig. 40.
- Edwards Park. Treasures from the Smithsonian Institution., 1st ed. Washington and New York. p. 357.
- Collection Area(s)
- Japanese Art
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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