Deep Tea Bowl

In shape, this vessel pays homage to the tea bowls produced during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) at the Jian kilns of southeast China. Even the accidental streaking of the glaze as it ran down the sides and interior of the bowl during firing in the kiln— the so-called hare’s fur glaze effect—follows this Chinese ceramic tradition. What is striking, however, is the note of novelty the modern Japanese potter Komatsu Koichiro injected in his choice of a pale blue coloration. "Hare’s fur" glazes on traditional Song Jian wares consist of striations of light-to-dark browns.