Potter: Miyashita Zenji

Approximate size: W3.7″ by H2.7″ or 9.5 by 6.8 cm

This is a peculiar chawan by Miyashita Zenji (1901-1968). His works are seldom seen on the market and many works have been in collections, public and private for decades. He seemed to have focused on large sculptural works and vases on which he created landscapes by expertly executing a technique called saidei. He did not make many chawan or other tea utensils and among the works that are left this chawan has something that sets it apart being unique.

Fired with a unusual tenmoku oilspot glaze, this is a nodate chawan. Nodate as you may very well already be aware of is the open-air tea ceremony, in which a powdered green tea called matcha is prepared and enjoyed outside – incorporating nature into the ritual.

I suppose it could be colloquially be said to be the Art of Japanese Tea Picnic. For nodate a selection of items is used, similar to the Tea ceremony held inside. Foremost differences lay in the size of the utensils, for better portability. A smaller size chawan is used, as well as other utensils that are appropriately resized. The bamboo tea whisk or chasen that is used in Nodate is called a chabako. Its size and form adjusted for this kind of meeting outside, a noticeable difference from when such a gathering is held inside.

As the eldest son of master potter and porcelain artist Miyashita Zenju (1901-1968), he went to Kyoto Municipal University of Arts and studied under the Living National Treasure potters Tomimoto Kenkichi and Kondo Yūzō. Early in his career he started working with celadon which is considered to be one of the most difficult glazes as it relies on shape and extreme control of firing to result in perfect pieces. He worked with and was inspired by artists like Yagi Kazuo, Suzuki Osamu and Kiyomizu Kyūbey. Miyashita was affiliated with Seitōkai and the Nitten group (starting in 1964), exhibiting in their annual competitions, which he won 18 times. His works have been included in exhibitions throughout the world and were acquired by major museums in Japan, the US and Europe. It is no exaggeration to say he was one of the most famous potters of Japan.

Works by Miyashita Zenji are held in the Freer-Sackler, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, and the Brooklyn Museum the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and of course the National Museums of Modern Art both in Kyoto and Tokyo among a host of others.

His mature work was a modern embodiment of a classic Kyoto mode associated with the Heian period (794–1185). He applied delicate layers of colour — reminiscent of multilayered court robes or decorated papers made for inscribing poetry — using not over-glaze enamels or glazes but clay itself, dyed with mineral pigments.

Sackler Art Museum

The chawan bears the potter’s seal and condition is mint, unused. While not a defect or flaw note a small indentation formed on the rim. Comes with the original high quality shiho san paulownia tomobako or storage box with kiln stamp, calligraphy on the lid and a dedicated tomonuno or tea-cloth.

Works by Miyashita Zenji are held in public collections of museums worldwide. Foremost are his vases — chawan are seldom seen