Kenzan-style Tea Bowl

JAPAN, KYOTOKyoto ware

1800

8.3 cm (h.), 12.4 cm (diam.)

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

A dark, textured ceramic bowl with a rough, uneven rim features a band of white glaze with swirling blue patterns. The bowl is presented against a dark, gradient background. The crane motif created by the white glaze on this tea bowl recalls the style established by Ogata Kenzan, whose spontaneous yet elegant motifs were rendered on the ceramic surface like paint on a canvas. Kenzan’s style gained wide popularity among ceramic makers throughout Japan: potters contemporary to Kenzan as well as those of later generations produced many pieces as a tribute to the great master. Credit: Archeology and World Cultures