Kenzan Style Chawan by Houzan — Red Plum Painting with Sosei Inscription Box

A chawan in the manner of Ogata Kenzan, painted with kou-haku ume — red plum blossoms against a grey-white ground. The trunk twists; the flowers hold their color without apology. The inscription box bears the writing of Sosei. Houzan paints as Kenzan once directed: directness as aesthetic position.

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【 Basic Details 】
• Artist: Houzan (邦山)
• Style: Kenzan-utsushi (乾山写 — work in the manner of Ogata Kenzan)
• Motif: Kou-haku Ume (紅白梅 — red and white plum blossoms)
• Dimensions: Width approx. 12 cm, height approx. 7.5 cm
• Inscription box (書付箱) by Sosei (宗正)
• Comes with original wooden box (共箱)
• Condition: Good; age-appropriate

【 Cultural Insight 】
Ogata Kenzan (1663–1743) is among the most significant figures in Japanese ceramic art. His approach was radical for his time: he applied the sensibility of ink painting directly to clay, treating the bowl surface as a picture plane rather than a vessel wall. Plum blossom was one of his signature motifs — the first flower of the year, blooming through snow, held as a symbol of perseverance and renewal. To work in Kenzan's manner (Kenzan-utsushi) is to practice a dialogue across centuries: the contemporary potter acknowledging a conversation that began in the early Edo period and has not ended.

【 Deep Dive 】
Houzan renders the red plum with the characteristic Kenzan directness: broad brushwork on the trunk, individual rounded petals in vivid red-orange, small green calyxes marking each node. The interior of the bowl is clear glaze over grey-toned clay — contemplative, uncrowded. The composition wraps the exterior fully; turning the bowl in hand reveals the plum as continuous, not repeated. The inscription by Sosei confirms this as a tea-named piece. The grey-white glaze body is characteristic of Kenzan-utsushi work, distinct from the brighter whites of standard Kiyomizuyaki.

【 Japanese 】
邦山作・乾山写の紅白梅絵茶碗。灰白色の素地に朱赤の紅梅を大胆に描く。宗正の書付箱付き。乾山様式特有の絵画的アプローチで、梅の力強さを碗面に封じ込めた京焼の逸品。

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• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days
• Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking)
• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials