{"product_id":"tenmoku-tea-bowl-by-shibata-masuzo-oil-spot-glaze-japanese-chawan-with-signed-box","title":"Tenmoku Tea Bowl by Shibata Masuzo - Oil Spot Glaze Japanese Chawan with Signed Box","description":"Experience Authentic Japanese Tea Art with this Tenmoku Tea Bowl. This Matcha Chawan Art serves as an Oil Spot Glaze Bowl and Shibata Masuzo Art, featuring Black Glaze Ceramic and Zen Tea Bowl—a must-have for any Art Collector Gift seeking Wabi Sabi Tea Bowl and Signed Wooden Box.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Artist: Shibata Masuzo (柴田増三)\u003cbr\u003e• Technique: Tenmoku glaze (天目) with oil-spot variation (yuteki)\u003cbr\u003e• Era: Contemporary (Heisei period)\u003cbr\u003e• Origin: Japan\u003cbr\u003e• Dimensions: Height approx. 7.3 cm (2.9 in), Diameter approx. 12 cm (4.7 in), Foot diameter 4.3 cm (1.7 in)\u003cbr\u003e• Box: Signed tomobako inscribed \"天目茶碗\" with artist seal (共箱)\u003cbr\u003e• Condition: Good — no chips, cracks, or repairs noted\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ CULTURAL \u0026amp; ARTISTIC INSIGHT ]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTenmoku represents one of the most revered glaze traditions in the history of East Asian ceramics. Originating from the Jian kilns of Fujian Province during the Song dynasty, these iron-rich black-glazed bowls were carried to Japan by Zen monks who studied at the Tianmu (Tenmoku) mountain temples. In Japanese tea culture, tenmoku bowls occupy a position of singular authority—they are among the few ceramic forms where the glaze itself is the entire statement.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShibata Masuzo’s interpretation honors the historical lineage while demonstrating contemporary mastery. The lustrous black surface is punctuated by silvery spots—evidence of iron oxide crystals that have separated and risen to the surface during the extreme heat of firing. This phenomenon, known as yuteki (oil spot), cannot be fully controlled; the potter sets the conditions, then yields to the kiln’s judgment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe classic conical form—wide mouth tapering to a narrow foot—follows the Song dynasty prototype that Zen practitioners considered the ideal vessel for contemplating the green froth of whisked matcha against absolute darkness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*\"In the depth of black glaze, every shade of the universe is already present—waiting for light to reveal what fire has hidden.\"*\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**The Tenmoku Tradition**: The name tenmoku derives from Mount Tianmu in Zhejiang Province, where Japanese Zen monks first encountered these bowls. Returning to Japan in the 12th and 13th centuries, they brought both the bowls and the tea-drinking practice that transformed Japanese culture. The form became so revered that several Chinese tenmoku bowls were designated as National Treasures of Japan—ceramic objects holding the same cultural weight as sacred texts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**Oil Spot Technical Achievement**: The yuteki (oil spot) effect occurs when iron-saturated glaze is fired at temperatures exceeding 1300°C in a reduction atmosphere. Iron oxide crystals nucleate and float to the surface, creating silvery spots against the dark matrix. The density, size, and distribution of these spots vary with every firing, making each piece unrepeatable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**Collector Significance**: Contemporary tenmoku specialists carry forward a tradition that spans nearly a millennium. Each generation of potters adds its understanding to the accumulated knowledge of iron-glaze behavior. Shibata Masuzo’s work demonstrates the disciplined restraint that characterizes the finest tenmoku—the refusal to decorate what is already complete.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e**In the Tea Room**: Tenmoku bowls are traditionally used for thick tea (koicha) in formal settings or displayed as objects of contemplation. The dark interior transforms the vivid green of matcha into a luminous presence, creating a visual dialogue between darkness and light that embodies the Zen aesthetic of mu (nothingness) giving rise to form.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ 日本語解説 ]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e【基本情報】\u003cbr\u003e• 作家：柴田増三\u003cbr\u003e• 技法：天目釉（油滴天目）\u003cbr\u003e• 時代：現代（平成期）\u003cbr\u003e• 産地：日本\u003cbr\u003e• 寸法：高さ約7.3cm、口径約12cm、高台径4.3cm\u003cbr\u003e• 付属：共箱（「天目茶碗」署名・朱印入り）\u003cbr\u003e• 状態：良好\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e【解説】\u003cbr\u003e天目茶碗は、中国宋代の建窯を源流とする鉄釉の黒茶碗である。「天目」の名は、中国天目山の禅寺で修行した日本の僧侶たちがこの茶碗を持ち帰ったことに由来する。日本の茶の湯文化において、天目茶碗は釉薬そのものが作品の全てを語る稀有な形式として、特別な地位を占める。\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e柴田増三氏の本作は、漆黒の地に油滴状の銀斑が浮かぶ油滴天目である。1300℃超の高温還元焔において、釉中の鉄分が結晶化し浮上する現象であり、その分布は窯の判断に委ねられる。作家は条件を整え、火の意志に身を委ねる——その潜在的な制御不可能性こそが、天目の美の本質である。\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e広口から小さな高台へと絞り込まれる古典的な天目形は、宋代の原型を忠実に踏襲する。漆黒の器内に点てられた抹茶の緑が、闇の中に光を放つように浮かび上がる——禅の美意識そのものである。\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ SHIPPING \u0026amp; PACKAGING ]\u003cbr\u003e• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days\u003cbr\u003e• Carrier: Japan Post EMS \/ UPS (with tracking)\u003cbr\u003e• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*A thousand years of iron and fire converge in a single bowl—darkness made visible, silence made tangible.*","brand":"The Modern Zen Archive","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":61591386554738,"sku":"260107_a_1455","price":782.0,"currency_code":"AED","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/5680\/3698\/files\/QjNGPHpN4XgMwfxJcDhL3Z.jpg?v=1770959630","url":"https:\/\/checkout.themodernzenarchive.com\/products\/tenmoku-tea-bowl-by-shibata-masuzo-oil-spot-glaze-japanese-chawan-with-signed-box","provider":"The Modern Zen Archive","version":"1.0","type":"link"}