Kyo Ware Maple Leaf Tea Bowl by Kudo Juraku - Hounsai XV Urasenke Kao Inscription

Experience Authentic Japan Art with this Kyo Ware Tea Bowl. This Japanese Matcha Chawan serves as a Kudo Juraku Pottery and Urasenke Endorsed Ceramic, featuring Autumn Maple Design and Grand Master Kao—a must-have for any Art Collector seeking Museum Quality Tea Bowl and Momiji Pattern Art.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]

• Artist: Kudo Juraku (工藤寿楽)
• Inscription: Hounsai XV (鵬雲斎), 15th Generation Urasenke Grand Master kao (花押)
• Technique: Overglaze enamel painting (iro-e) on white ground
• Era: Contemporary (Showa–Heisei period)
• Origin: Kyoto, Japan
• Dimensions: Height approx. 7.7 cm, Diameter approx. 12.5 cm
• Box: Signed tomobako with Hounsai kao on inner lid
• Condition: Excellent

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔹 [ CULTURAL & ARTISTIC INSIGHT ]

This extraordinary tea bowl carries the personal kao (花押, cipher signature) of Hounsai, the 15th Generation Grand Master of the Urasenke school of tea ceremony—one of the most influential figures in modern Japanese tea culture. Hounsai (1923–2022) dedicated his life to spreading tea culture globally and personally inscribed select pieces that met his exacting standards.

Kudo Juraku's painting captures the essence of Japanese autumn: crimson and gold maple leaves (momiji) drift above stylized flowing water, evoking the famous tatsuta-gawa imagery celebrated in classical poetry. The elegant cream ground provides perfect contrast for the vivid overglaze enamels.

*"Where Hounsai's brush touched, the bowl became sacred—carrying forward a thousand years of tea wisdom."*

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ]

**The Hounsai Kao**: A kao inscription from Hounsai XV represents the highest possible endorsement for a tea bowl. The Grand Master personally evaluated pieces and inscribed only those deemed worthy of use in formal tea ceremony. This authentication dramatically elevates both cultural and monetary value.

**Urasenke Tradition**: Urasenke is one of the three main schools of Japanese tea ceremony, tracing its lineage directly to Sen no Rikyu, the founder of wabi-cha. The 15th generation's endorsement connects this bowl to an unbroken lineage of tea masters spanning over 400 years.

**The Momiji Motif**: Autumn maple leaves hold deep significance in Japanese aesthetics, symbolizing the beauty of impermanence and the poignant awareness of passing time (mono no aware). The flowing water beneath suggests the Tatsuta River, immortalized in poetry as the river where maple leaves gather.

**Collector Significance**: Tea bowls bearing Grand Master inscriptions are actively sought by museums, tea schools, and serious collectors. The combination of Kudo Juraku's skilled painting and Hounsai's authentication makes this piece exceptionally significant.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔹 [ 日本語解説 ]

【基本情報】
• 作家：工藤寿楽
• 書付：裏千家十五代 鵬雲斎 花押
• 技法：色絵（上絵付）
• 時代：現代（昭和〜平成）
• 産地：京都
• 寸法：高さ約7.7cm、口径約12.5cm
• 付属：共箱（蓋裏に鵬雲斎花押）
• 状態：良好

【解説】
本作は裏千家十五代家元・鵬雲斎宗匠（1923-2022）の花押を戴く極めて貴重な茶碗です。鵬雲斎は茶道の国際的普及に尽力し、その審美眼で選ばれた道具にのみ花押を記しました。

工藤寿楽による紅葉絵は、日本の秋を象徴する楓が流水の上を漂う、古典的な龍田川の意匠を表現しています。紅と金の楓葉は移ろいゆく美への気づき（もののあはれ）を体現し、茶の湯の精神と深く響き合います。

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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

*Touched by the Grand Master's hand, endorsed by his brush—this bowl carries the blessing of a thousand tea gatherings.*