In the classical vocabulary of Japanese ceramics, the chawan exists at the intersection of craft and contemplation. Its proportions are never arbitrary: deeper bowls, made to cup warm liquid through a cold season, carry a different presence than the shallower forms designed to let summer matcha breathe. This bowl belongs to the former tradition — upright, considered, made to hold both heat and attention. What distinguishes it visually is a decoration of rare simplicity and difficulty in equal measure: white lines drawn freehand with a brush over a warm brown glaze. In a tradition where surface ornament was often achieved through the chemistry of the kiln rather than the movement of a hand, painted brushwork like this is a deliberate act — each line a single, unrevisable stroke. The result is animated but composed, the white catching light against the matte earth of the ground beneath. Made in Japan around 1930 and bearing a potter's signature on the base, this chawan was sourced at the Ōsu Antique Market in Nagoya — a marketplace with a long and serious reputation among collectors of Japanese ceramics and antique ware. At nearly a century old, it sits at the outer edge of what the vintage market typically offers: a piece that has moved from utility to collectibility without losing either quality. Details Type — Matcha chawan / tea ceremony bowl Origin — Japan (Ōsu Antique Market, Nagoya) Period — Circa 1930, Taishō–early Shōwa era Material — Ceramic / yakimono Glaze & Decoration — Brown glaze with hand-brushed white line decoration Signature — Potter's mark on base Dimensions — 12 cm × 7.5 cm (diameter × height) Weight — 266 g Condition — Good. Age-consistent wear throughout
