Chawan Chawan Made of Kyoto Ware by Ryoji Nakamura

A small flock of sheep frolics on this tea bowl between golden-brown fences and green blades of grass – a playful scene painted with a fine brush and luminous overglaze enamels, lending the creamy white Kyoto glaze a cheerful, narrative quality. The woolly animals are characterized with few but precise lines and, through the slight crackling of the ground, appear almost as if embedded in an old painting.

Kyo-yaki, the ceramic tradition of the old imperial capital Kyoto, is known for its fine craftsmanship and elaborate hand-painted decoration, which differs markedly from the more rustic country ceramics. The iridescent reddish-orange glaze rim frames the motif at the top and provides a harmonious transition to the light interior glaze of the bowl. This chawan was made by Ryoji Nakamura, whose calm, balanced shaping is reflected in the slightly bulging silhouette.

The bowl comes in a wooden box signed by the master potter and was created in the Heisei period. With its charming motif, it is suitable both for the tea ceremony and as a cheerful collector's piece for lovers of Japanese ceramic art.