Nana Nana Kiju Chawan by greatest Zen Monk Shimizu Kosho

One of a kind! Wonderful Nana Nana Kiju Chawan made by the most famous monk of Japan, Shimizu Kosho (Kōshō), which he made as a commemorative tea bowl to celebrate his 77 birthday.

It comes with the originally signed and sealed wooden box of this most famous buddhistic monk. This tea bowl is made of clay of the Jinraku-Gama-kiln, which is famous for folk craft style pottery. The kiln has a deep relationship with great potters like Shoji Hamada and Kanjiro Kawai.

This artwork shows the hand-painted and artistically abstracted characters 77 and Kiju. In Japan, the age of 77 is called "Kiju", which stands for happiness, congratulations and also longevity. Kiju is a very important term in Japanese culture that refers to the completion of a full life cycle. It is believed that at the age of 77, a person has completed seven cycles of the Chinese zodiac, which consists of 12 animal signs, making a total of 84 years. The age of 77 is seen as a significant milestone because it marks the completion of these cycles and is considered a time of reflection and celebration. It is believed that reaching this age brings good luck and blessings, and it is often celebrated with family and friends.

Shimizu Kosho (清水公焦) was born in the famous castle town of Himeji on January 3rd, 1911 and entered Tōdai-ji-Temple in Nara in 1927. Upon graduation in Buddhist studies from Ryokoku University in 1933 he took up residence at Tenryu-ji for four years to study and practice Zen under the guidance of the Abbot Seki Seisetsu (1877-1945). When he returned to Tōdai-ji, the first steps of his career were closely linked to the temple's teaching institutions. In 1947 he became Director of the school (which was later to become the still existing Tōdai-ji High School). In 1959 he was appointed the Director of the Monks' Academy (Kangakuin) at Tōdai-ji, and in 1963 became Director of Tōdai-ji Girls' School and Tōdai-ji Kindergarten. 1969 marked a turning point in Kōshō's career, when he was appointed as Head of Religious Affairs of the Kegon Tradition. In 1975 the Abbot Kamitsukasa Kaiun (1907-1975) died and Shimizu Kōshō was chosen as his successor, becoming the 207th Abbot of Tōdai-ji. He remained in this position for only a short time, resigning in 1981. For the remaining nearly twenty years of his life, he was dedicated to the life of an artist. He became a prolific 'eccentric' painter, calligrapher and figurative potter. Unlike most artist-monks, he did not limit himself to painting in only black ink, but enjoyed a full range of colours. His writing and painting styles are what may be described as obsessively impulsive. In 1994, when the Shosha Art and Craft Museum (in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture), was founded, Shimizu Kōshō was made its honorary director because he donated a large number of his artworks. He died on May 6th, 1999.

Size: 10,2 cm high x 12 cm in diameter.