Oribe

Among the classical styles of Japanese tea ceramics, Oribe ware occupies a singular position. Named after the tea master Furuta Oribe, a student of Sen no Rikyū and one of the most influential arbiters of chado in the late sixteenth century, Oribe-yaki broke decisively with the austere symmetry of earlier tea aesthetics. Its hallmarks — asymmetric forms, bold gestures in green copper glaze over white or beige clay, passages of deliberate rusticity — were understood at the time as a provocation, and have since become among the most recognised expressions of Japanese ceramic art. This chawan, made around 1930, is a faithful heir to that tradition. Its form is kutsugata — literally "clog-shaped" — a deliberately pinched, irregular silhouette that refuses perfect roundness. The surface carries the characteristic Oribe palette: green, beige, and warm brown in a glaze that moves freely across the body, settling differently on every plane. No two faces of this bowl are the same. Sourced at auction in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture — the historic seat of Mino ware production, within whose kiln tradition Oribe itself was born — this piece carries both formal and geographic authenticity. At nearly a century old, it is the oldest piece in this collection, and its age is present in every detail: in the slight irregularity of the footring, in the softness of the glaze surface, in the quiet authority of an object that has outlasted almost everything made alongside it. Details Type — Matcha chawan / tea ceremony bowl Origin — Japan (antique auction, Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture — historic Mino ware region) Period — Circa 1930, Taishō–early Shōwa era Material — Ceramic / Oribe-yaki (Mino ware) Glaze & Decoration — Green, beige, and brown Oribe glaze; kutsugata (clog-shaped) pinched form Signature — Not noted Dimensions — 11 cm × 6.5 cm (diameter × height) Weight — 250 g Condition — Good considering age. Natural wear and patina consistent with vintage use