Kyôyaki
Chawan, tea bowl: Silence in the mountainsSigned:
Seals: Mokubei
Technique: Green glazed dark brown wheel turned Kiyôyaki with slip inside and incized decoration in white on a an unglazed foot Ø12,7 x 10
Box: authorized by Seichû Sôshitsu (Gengensai) (1810-1877) ‘father of the Restoration of Chadô’, 11th generation tea master of the Urasenke School (Sen Rikyū family lineage).
Condition: fine
Inscription reads: 鳥啼山更幽 Tori naite yama sarani zuka nari.-
The chirping of one bird, and the mountains become even more quiet
from a line of a poem by Wang Anshi (1021-1086)
Box inscription outside: 聾米 茶碗 Rôbei (deaf) chawan, inside：玄々 Gengen and kaô
Although in 1796 Mokubei submitted paintings to one of the exhibitions of contemporary art organized twice-yearly by the scholar and artist Minagawa Kien (1734-1807), he was not an active painter until about 1820. It is therefore remarkable that he is now mostly known as a painter.
In his own time, however, he was considered one of the great masters of pottery, on a par with Nonomura Ninsei (fl mid 17th century) and Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743). He worked with many different techniques and was extremely productive. Nevertheless, his ceramics have become rare, not only because of breakage resulting from use, but also because of earthquakes, fires and the ravages of war.
Reference:
Next to a number of monographs
Roberts p. 111
Beerens p. 50
Jenyns ‘65 p. 290-295
Price: SOLD
