AE39 Japanese Shimadai Tea Bowls, Raku Ware by Jyuraku Heian, Gold & Silver

The inside is covered with gold leaf and silver leaf.  This kind of tea bowls pair of Raku ware is called "Shimadai Chawan (Shimadai tea bowl)".

The seal of the potter is stamped on the bottom.  The original wooden box with the signature of the potter is also included.


(About Raku ware)

The term of "Raku" was derived from the site where clay was dug in Kyoto in the late 16th century and is found in Kanji character meaning "enjoyment" or "ease." 

For 15 generations it has been the title and seal used by a lineage of potters whose work formed the central tradition in Japan. This lineage believes that 'Raku' refers to the potters who use the technique, not the technique itself.

In 16th century, the first of these potters, Chojiro is said to have come under the patronage of the Japanese tea master , Sen-No-Rikyu. 

According to legend, in 1598, the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, after Chojiro's death in 1592, bestowed upon his adopted son, Jokei, a golden seal with the written symbol "raku." 

Both the name and the ceramic style have been passed down through the family to the present. After the publication of a manual in the 18th century, raku ware was also made by numerous workshops in and around Kyoto: by amateur potter tea practitioners and by professional and amateur potters around Japan.

Raku ware marked an important point in the historical development of Japanese ceramics, as it is the first ware to use a seal mark and the first to focus on close collaboration between potter and patron. Other famous Japanese clay artists of this period include Donyu (1574-1656), Hon-Ami Koetsu (1556-1637) and Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743).