Journal

A Chōsen-Karatsu chawan by Katō Tōkurō, signed Hana, with Hōunsai's inscription on the kiri-wood tomobako and the Konnichian seal of Urasenke

The Vase of 1294: Katō Tōkurō and the Einin Pot...

On June 27, 1959, the Japanese government designated a small ceramic vase as an Important Cultural Property. The vase was a heishi — a tall, narrow-shouldered bottle of the kind...

The Vase of 1294: Katō Tōkurō and the Einin Pot...

On June 27, 1959, the Japanese government designated a small ceramic vase as an Important Cultural Property. The vase was a heishi — a tall, narrow-shouldered bottle of the kind...

An Edo-period maki-e natsume tea caddy with 1746 box inscription, the gold autumn-grass motif still glowing after 280 years

The Summer of the Kaga Affair: A 1746 Maki-e Te...

In the summer of 1746, a wooden box was sealed in Kanazawa. Inside the box, wrapped in soft cloth, was a small lacquer container — a natsume, a tea caddy...

The Summer of the Kaga Affair: A 1746 Maki-e Te...

In the summer of 1746, a wooden box was sealed in Kanazawa. Inside the box, wrapped in soft cloth, was a small lacquer container — a natsume, a tea caddy...

Wa Kei Sei Jaku: Spirit of the Tea Room | The Modern Zen Archive

Wa Kei Sei Jaku: Spirit of the Tea Room | The M...

Archive Entry 007 Architecture of Spirit 1. Principles That Govern Space The moment a second person enters the tea room, total solitude is broken. The "One" divides, dualism begins, and...

Wa Kei Sei Jaku: Spirit of the Tea Room | The M...

Archive Entry 007 Architecture of Spirit 1. Principles That Govern Space The moment a second person enters the tea room, total solitude is broken. The "One" divides, dualism begins, and...

Edo-period Yashima-yaki nagashi-gusuri tea bowl by Mitani Rinzo with Kuroda Totoan sai-sei-bako

Yashima-yaki: The Bowl from the Battle Site | Z...

The Bowl What you notice first is the dark green-black glaze spilling from the rim. The flow is not uniform. It follows gravity — pooling here, thinning there, each vertical...

Yashima-yaki: The Bowl from the Battle Site | Z...

The Bowl What you notice first is the dark green-black glaze spilling from the rim. The flow is not uniform. It follows gravity — pooling here, thinning there, each vertical...

Seto-glaze matcha bowl by Eiraku Zengoro with signed paulownia tomobako box

Eiraku Zengoro and Senke Jisshoku | Zen Archive

The Bowl What you notice first is the color of the glaze — warm as honey. The amber glaze catches the light softly near the rim, then deepens as it...

Eiraku Zengoro and Senke Jisshoku | Zen Archive

The Bowl What you notice first is the color of the glaze — warm as honey. The amber glaze catches the light softly near the rim, then deepens as it...

Aka-Raku tea bowl 'Sakura-shimo' by Raku Ryōnyū IX with original tomobako and Omotesenke Jimyōsai authentication box

How to Read a Raku Tea Bowl | The Modern Zen Ar...

The First Thing the Eye Finds Turn a Raku bowl over. What your eye finds first is not the glaze, and not the shape. It is a single character pressed...

How to Read a Raku Tea Bowl | The Modern Zen Ar...

The First Thing the Eye Finds Turn a Raku bowl over. What your eye finds first is not the glaze, and not the shape. It is a single character pressed...