Like all Japanese raku ware, Yanashita hand-formed this tea bowl, but also narrowed the shape slightly on two ends resulting in an oval opening. One side is “flatter” than the other which shows off the contrast between areas of glossy black glaze against the red-brown raku clay of the unglazed surfaces.

In addition to the chawan's name specifically evoking and paying tribute to Hon’ami Koetsu - the legendary 16th century Japanese artist and connoisseur who formalized the burgeoning aesthetics of the tea ceremony - this bowl is also titled “雨上がり” or “After the Rain.” The alternating glossy glaze and matte clay is meant to evoke the impression of a wet mountain landscape just as the rain has ended and the mist is lifting.

Long an inspiration in Japanese art, a rain-washed landscape evokes not only a calm beauty but also an inspiring freshness. With its brilliant black glaze, as though shining from a recent rain, this chawan sets a serene mood of clarity. Evoking the Zen Buddhist idea of Shin’nyo - or absolute reality - a world washed clean prepares the mind for being fully present, for perceiving the true essence of what we see before us.

New from the artist’s studio. Comes with the signed, stamped, and double-titled wood box, stamped wrapping cloth, and CV.