Tea bowls made from Jian kiln were introduced to Japan and came to be called Tenmoku tea bowls.
The basic shape of a tenmoku tea bowl, the bottom is thin and widens gently from the bottom, with a constriction below the rim.
This constriction is said to keep the tea warm and to prevent the tea from splashing when brewing.
Tenmoku glaze, which is an iron glaze, is applied to the entire bowl, giving it a dark brown color, and the pattern emerges on the surface of the vessel due to the kiln change phenomenon during firing.
It is a pattern that can be taken between fur glaze and Oil-Spot.
The pattern, which is characteristic of Oil-Spot, has a characteristic silver color that looks like oil floating on water.
The soil is black and sticky, which is unique to the Jian ware.
The bottom is ring-shaped and is glazed slightly above the bottom, exposing the soil.
A silver is attached to the rim, which is said to have been used to restore the rim of the bowl and, in the case of tenmoku tea bowls, to improve the mouthfeel.
| Title | Tenmokku Tea Bowl with “Oil-Spot” |
|---|---|
| Period | Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) |
| Culture | China |
| Area/Kiln | Jian ware |
| Dimensions | H. 2 3/4 in. ; Diam. 4 7/8 in. ; Diam. of bottom 1 5/8 in. |
| Classification | Ceramics |
| Glaze | Iron Glaze（Black） |
| owner | WD Collection |
| Number | 000060 |
Related Articles
For Jian ware and Tenmoku Tea bowl, please see this page.
Jan Ware is famous for being the kiln that produced Tenmoku tea bowls, a popular type of Chinese ceramic, and is also the birthplace of the Yohen Tenm...
Tenmoku Tea Bowls, such as Yohen Tenmoku and Tenmoku Oil Spot, are a type of extremely popular ceramics in Japan as well. The beautiful contrast betw...
