Solitary Awara-yaki Chawan by Kuze Tensei

Antique solitary Awara-yaki chawan by great artist Kuze Tensei 久世天声 (1878 - 1933) around 1915 (Meiji Period).

He studied art under Yamada Kei while working as a teacher at Ishikawa Technical Senior High School. In 1914, he moved to Awara Onsen in Fukui Prefecture (a classic hot spring town) where he set up a studio and kiln and created Awara-yaki using clay from the area to produce Kyo-ware style ceramics, which often won prizes in exhibitions.

The Kuze name is currently in the third generation with Kuze Takesuke producing Awara-yaki.

This Awara-yaki chawan by Kuze Tensei is a deep orange-brown color, accented by areas of pale orange and graphite colored iron crystals. The incredibly beautiful interior of the bowl looks like a swirling galaxy. The artist’s mark and seal are impressed next to the hand carved foot. In perfect condition, this bowl comes with its original wooden box, paper cover, and protective cloth.

The paper cover reads “Made by Kuze Tensei” and “Matchawan”; the paper tag on the box reads “Kuze Ten-sei” and “Matchawan”.

The Haiku on the wooden box lid, with a picture of a Buddhist priest having tea, seems to read “Zen Hoonin (name of priest ?), "Drink tea, to taste and to make me warm” (the Eiheji or Temple of Infinite Peacefulness is a training center for priests of the Soto Zen sect of Buddhism and is located in the mountains of Fukui Prefecture, so one of the priests was probably using this tea bowl and did the art work and haiku on the box lid).

The bottom of the box lid reads “Fukui Awara Hot Spring, Awara Ware, Made by Tensei”.

12.3 x 12.3 cm x 7.3 cm high.