Teabowl
ca. 1790
Medium
Rounded body, well defined foot; brown clay, yellow underglaze, black, red and green overglaze (Raku ware)
Dimensions
H. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm); Diam. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Accession Number
36.120.545
Art Historical Context
This elegant teabowl, created around 1790 by the Japanese potter Ryōnyu during the Edo period, exemplifies the refined simplicity of Raku ware. Measuring just under three inches in height, the vessel features a rounded body and well-defined foot formed from brown clay. Its surface is enriched with a yellow underglaze beneath layers of black, red, and green overglaze, creating a subtle yet vibrant interplay of colors suited to the intimate ritual of the Japanese tea ceremony. Raku ware holds deep cultural significance in Japan, having been developed in the late sixteenth century and closely as...