TeaChat

Hi Folks,

I recently found this tea bowl and have been searching the internet to help identify it. My search led me here, and I thought someone might be able to help me zero in on identifying this pot, and perhaps the mark on its bottom.

edit: Dimensions
The rim is about 6 1/2″ in diameter, and the stand is about 2″ high the bowl itself is about 2 1/2″ high making the entire pot about 4 1/2″ high.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Hrm, other people will have to help with the style and what not, but I would say the characters are 光山.

The piece strikes me as Japanese (a number of things, but particularly the flower depressions), so then 光山 is Kouzan.

I can't say much more than that, though.

I wonder if this design is consider "Mishima" I did some google image searches and came across similar designs which were referred to as Mishima.


So the mark is not considered to be a signature or makers mark?

Hmmm I would venture to say the height of the foot is rather tall for your average teacup or chawan. Isn't that sort of height more common in ceremonial wares or wine cups?
Out of curiosity I did a search and found a chawan with a similar shape but different style:
http://www.rikyucha.com/item/list2/101981/

Ive been to that site before, love the works, thanks for the link, I found this on the same site just now

http://www.rikyucha.com/item/list2/979011/
I cant post a link yet, but that bowl has a similar stand and is listed as a 'bajyo (on a horse)-hai ' style -


Oh and here is a list of tea bowl shapes where it lists it as 馬上杯, Bajyohai: Rider's Cup http://flyeschool.com/content/japanese-tea-bowl-shapes

(I activated your links for you)

Sake cups like this are called "horseback cups" but they are generally tiny, not this big.

I've seen "horseback chawan" in Kyoto's Raku musuem. But I couldn't say for sure that this is what you have here.

Looks Japanese, but the style of stamping and glazing is strongly Korean.

TO, I think Mishima pottery is said to have been imported from Korea, so that's probably a good sign.

If it's not Mishima, it certainly has many qualities of it.

I have no idea what the "5-20" would be, other than a date or a manufacture lot number. The 光山 could be the name of the potter or the studio.

I searched around for some stuff, and though I found some 光山窯 (Kouzan kiln), they had nothing close to this style of item (for example, here).

I think the bowl is definitely Japanese. I like it very much because the glazing is much more to my taste than most of what is called Mishima which I don't really care for too much. Too redundant. Slip is used to inlay the stamped designs. The Koreans were masters of this technique, rivaling and even surpassing the Chinese. This bowl has a very pleasing form to me and uses the tall foot very well. Tasty.

I believe the term 'rider's cup' is probably derived from the Tibetan and Chinese Yuan forms which horsemen used to drink from while on their horses.

Well, thank you very much folks for all of your comments, it is nice to see it captivates others as much as it has captivated me.

I had it for sale in my Etsy store, but de-listed it after receiving a christmas gift of green teas and accessories, and have decided to keep it.

Perhaps someday something more definitive will come - but for now I am enjoying the pot - its shape is pleasing!

cheers