Shino chawan with Iris

This superb piece is emblematic of Kyoto ceramics from the Edo period (17th to 19th century).

It is a “Kyō Yaki” bowl, a style of ceramics born in the heart of Japan’s imperial capital, where the best potters and most precious materials were to be found. That’s why the pieces created in this style are so fine, with elegant hand-painted motifs and often enhanced with pure gold details.

Kyō Yaki ceramics are inextricably linked with the rise of tea culture in Japan: artists vied with each other in creativity to decorate the bowls (chawan) then used in the tea ceremony. This refined chawan, 11 cm in diameter and 6 cm high, is a fine example.

Kyō Yaki chawan and their graceful motifs are particularly sought-after by enthusiasts past and present. Whether to contemplate them, use them again as part of a tea ceremony, or use them to enjoy any other type of beverage: indeed, kintsugi is the only restoration technique compatible with food use.

This unique, hand-painted piece is magnified by a 24-carat gold kintsugi restoration.

Myriam’s view:

I particularly like the iris decoration on this bowl. In Japanese art, the iris is often associated with spring. These plant motifs are very common in the Japanese tea ceremony, which adapts to the changing seasons. That’s why the objects used to make tea are often adorned with characteristic plants to allude to the current season, as is the case with this chawan.