Second Generation of the Mashiko Kiln: Tessha (Iron-Sand Glaze) Tea Bowl by Kimura Mitsuru (木村充), Japanese-Style Old Fashioned Glass, Successor to Kimura Ichiro #545

A tessha (iron-sand glaze) tea bowl by Kimura Mitsuru (木村充, 1939–1998), the potter who succeeded, as its second generation, to the kiln that Kimura Mitsuru’s father-in-law, Kimura Ichiro, founded in Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture. We present it as a Japanese-style rocks glass for enjoying aged spirits and whisky over a large piece of ice.

Kimura Ichiro (1915–1978) studied at the Ceramics Testing Institute of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Kyoto and built a kiln in Mashiko soon after the war. At the 1953 Japan Ceramics Exhibition, Kimura Ichiro received the Director-General’s Prize of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency for the Large Dish with Net Pattern in Persimmon Glaze, and in later years worked mainly in copper red (shinsha) and iron painting. Today the Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art collects and presents Kimura Ichiro’s work, alongside that of Hamada Shoji, Shimaoka Tatsuzo and Kamoda Shoji, as one of the potters who shaped an era in Mashiko. Kimura Mitsuru studied under this father-in-law and succeeded to the kiln as its second generation. From 1994 the son, Kimura Mitsuyoshi (1970–), made pottery under Kimura Mitsuru, became independent after Kimura Mitsuru died in 1998, and continues to work as the kiln’s third generation.

The bowl is a deep, cylindrical tea bowl whose straight walls are circled by several horizontal ridges made on the wheel. It is about 9.5 cm high and about 11.8 cm wide. Held in both hands, the ridges give the fingers a natural hold, and the firmly trimmed foot ring gives the form its poise.

The outside is covered with tessha (iron-sand) glaze. Fine yellow-green speckles float in bands along the ridges over a reddish-brown ground, and because the glaze thickens and thins between the crests and hollows of the ridges, the surface changes with the viewing angle and the light.

Inside, a grayish-white glaze is scattered with fine iron specks. Throwing marks swirl in the well, and a small brown speck sits in the chadamari, the hollow at the centre. The white interior shows off the amber of aged spirits and whisky. The foot rim is unglazed and shows the texture of the clay. Inside the foot ring, grayish-white glaze covers the swirl left by trimming, and the square seal 「充」 is impressed on the inner wall.

The lid of the original box (tomobako) bears the brush inscription 「鉄砂茶碗」 (tessha tea bowl), the artist’s signature 「充」 and a red seal. The year of production is not recorded; as the artist died in 1998, the bowl was made in 1998 or earlier.

About 11.8 cm wide and 9.5 cm high, with a wide mouth and good depth, it holds a large piece of ice with room to spare. It can of course be used to whisk matcha, and we also propose it as a Japanese-style rocks glass for enjoying aged spirits and whisky over a large piece of ice. The clay of Mashiko and the tessha glaze make the amber of the spirit look even deeper.

• Artist: Kimura Mitsuru (木村充, 1939–1998)
• Career Highlights: [1939] Born; studied under the artist’s father-in-law, Kimura Ichiro, and succeeded to the Mashiko kiln as its second generation; [1994] the artist’s son, Kimura Mitsuyoshi, began making pottery under Kimura Mitsuru; [1998] Died
  Kiln: Ceramics and Dyeing," Isetan Matsudo (held annually thereafter); [2003] "Kimura Mitsuyoshi Ceramic Works Exhibition," Gallery Spotlight, Setagaya; [2005] Permanent display at Matsuzakaya Ginza; solo exhibition at New Mikura, Utsunomiya (held annually thereafter); [2006] "Kimura Mitsuyoshi Ceramic Works Exhibition," Tsukamoto Sakkakan Gallery, Mashiko; [2007] "Three Generations of the Mashiko Kiln Exhibition," Tōgei Messe Mashiko
• Public Collections: No record of the artist's works in public collections has been confirmed
• Date: 1998 or earlier (based on the year of the artist’s death; the exact year of production has not been confirmed)
• Condition: Very good (no chips, no cracks). Please regard the crazing that forms in firing, other characteristics of ceramics and the patina of age as part of the pleasure of an antique piece.
• Accompanied by: Original tomobako (artist-signed wooden box)
• Medium: Glazed pottery
• Dimensions: Height approx. 9.5 cm, Width approx. 11.8 cm, Depth approx. 11.8 cm
• Please Note: All items offered by our shop, even those that are new and unused, were produced a very long time ago and are therefore listed as pre-owned goods. Items may show damage due to age; please understand and confirm this before considering a purchase.
• About the Photographs: We prepare every description with great care, but errors may still remain in the text. Please examine the photos carefully before purchasing. Where the photos and the description differ, please take the photos as the basis for the product information.