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At the height of his power,
warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598), one of the "Three Great
Unifiers" of Japan, ordered the construction of a golden tea ceremony
room at Osaka Castle. The room would become a testament to his
vast wealth and influence and, against the sensibilities of his
appointed tea master, Sen no Rikyū, would be used for political and
military discussions. Honored guests were served tea from a
glittering bowl covered with pure gold.
The story of Hideyoshi's opulent tea room is the source of inspiration
behind this yōhen-kin shino tea ceremony bowl by Suzuki Tomio. After
nearly a decade of experimentation and refinement, Mr. Suzuki has
created a lustrous, golden glaze while still adhering to traditional shino
making techniques. Although the components of the glaze remain
secret, the artist will concede that no precious metal is used in the
process. Unlike Hideyoshi's gold covered tea bowl, the radiant
character of yōhen-kin shino is born inside the kiln.
The bowl is done in Mr. Suzuki's signature glaze. The face
holds an image of Mt. Fuji rendered in deeply crackled feldspar, while the back, in contrast, is much more reserved - a respectful nod to the
citrus skin texture of shino's classical past. The walls are
meticulously hand-formed with overlapping coils of light mogusa clay that lead up
to an undulating yama-michi mountain path rim, and the weight of the
piece balances perfectly on a well crafted footring.
A chawan that beckons from afar and asks all to peer inside. When
filled with whipped matcha green tea, the interior becomes a stunning
panorama - like an emerald lake hidden within this most famous of
Japanese landmarks.
See Suzuki Tomio's
Hanshin Gallery exhibition
for more from his 2009 collection.
A wooden presentation box will be custom made to order and signed by
the artist. Delivery time for this item is 2 weeks.
A fukusa (display cloth) is included.
special care instructions
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