RAKU SEINYŪ (KICHIZAEMON XII, 1887-1944)
A Black Raku Ware Tea Bowl
Taisho (1912-1926) or Showa (1926-1989) era, after 1919
A glazed earthenware chawan with lustrous black glaze featuring a short curtain of red glaze on one side, angled ceramic spatula impressions decorate the exterior wall, a small mark from the tongs used to remove the bowl from the kiln remaining on the wall opposite of the red glazing, the foot-ring crisply carved with an uzu whirlpool design to the interior of the ring, sealed Raku on the underside
With a wood tomobako storage box and tomogire wrapping cloth, the box inscribed Kuro chawan, signed Raku Kichizaemon, and sealed Raku on the underside of the body, with an inscription on the underside of the lid by Sen Sōshitsu XIV (Mugensai/Tantansai) of the Urasenke Chadō tradition, Kuro chawan Seinyū zō, signed Konnichian with a kaō
2 15/16 x 4 7/16in (7.5 x 11.3cm)
Footnotes:
Provenance
Kyoto, Japan, early 2000s

Born the first son of twelfth generation Raku Kōnyū (1857-1932), Seinyū succeeded his father as head of the Raku family of ceramists in 1919. Please refer to lot 680 for more information on the Raku family.