Oni-Hagi-yaki chawan Hirose Nanshū founder Tenpōzan kiln rough textured surface on wooden plank with tomobako and shiori, ukiyoe print in background,early Shōwa era Japan

Shiori and provenance documents Hagi-yaki chawan Tenpōzan kiln Hagi Japan

Oni-Hagi chawan Hirose Nanshu Tanga, irregular rim and white ash glaze over red clay

Oni-Hagi chawan Hirose Nanshu Tanga Tenpōzan, rough clay body front view

Interior Oni-Hagi chawan Tenpōzan kiln, pale glaze with craquelé

Oni-Hagi chawan Hirose Nanshu Tanga, tall foot ring and textured exterior

Oni-Hagi chawan Tenpōzan Hagi-yaki, irregular form and white glaze drip inside

Oni-Hagi chawan Hirose Nanshu Tanga, white ash glaze over red-brown Hagi clay

Oni-Hagi chawan Tenpōzan kiln, white glazed upper body and exposed clay below

Oni-Hagi chawan Tenpōzan kiln, white glazed upper body and exposed clay below front view

Base of Oni-Hagi chawan Tenpōzan kiln showing unglazed foot ring and kiln seal

Top view Oni-Hagi chawan Tenpōzan, volcanic surface texture and ash glaze

: Oni-Hagi chawan Hirose Nanshu Tanga, white glaze pooling and pale interior

Oni-Hagi chawan Tenpōzan kiln Hagi Japan, full form and glaze variation

Full inside view Oni-Hagi chawan Tenpōzan kiln, pale glaze with craquelé

Tomobako Oni-Hagi chawan Tenpōzan kiln, dark wood box with kiln inscription

Oni-Hagi-yaki chawan signed by Hirose Nanshū, founder of Tenpōzan kiln, with tomobako and shiori documentation, early Shōwa era

Name: Japanese Hagi ware chawan signed Hirose Nanshu Tenpōzan kiln founder early Shōwa tomobako | KAIKO&CO
Brand: KAIKO&CO
Price: 325.0 EUR
Availability: InStock

€325.00

The clay here is warm and gritty in a way that reads almost geological. The glaze deepens to amber-brown at the base and fades toward a pale sandy beige at the rim, and the transition between the two is not a line but a gradual dissolve. The form is slightly irregular, soft-shouldered, made without any ambition to be symmetrical.

This bowl comes from the founding generation of one of Hagi's most recognised kilns. The tomobako carries the hanko of Hirose Nanshū (南州), the man who established the Tsubaki-gama Tenpōzan in Hagi. The telephone notation on the shiori dates the documentation to before direct-dial lines existed in the city. Somewhere in the 1960s or earlier.

The shiori itself was signed by his son Hirose Tanga, who took over the kiln and continued his father's practice. That combination (the father's box and seal, the son's documentation) is a quiet record of how Japanese family kilns pass from one generation to the next. Hagi-yaki has held the second rank in the traditional tea master's hierarchy for centuries, behind only Raku. A bowl from the founding generation of a kiln in that tradition is not a common thing to find.

What makes this chawan special

The up close look and feel

The surface feels rougher than it looks. The clay is granular, almost coarse, with visible particles that catch the light differently as you turn the bowl. Where the glaze is thin, the clay pushes through: earthy, warm, porous. Where it pools, it deepens to amber. A fine network of craquelé runs through the glaze, hairline cracks formed as the glaze and clay cooled at different rates in the kiln. These cracks will continue to deepen quietly with each use. The rim is very slightly uneven. In the hand, this bowl feel present and warm.

Charming details

On the outer wall, just above the foot ring, there is a circular impressed kiln mark pressed into the soft clay before firing. Glaze ran down during the firing and partially absorbed it. This absorption is part of what makes early Tenpōzan work distinctive. The foot ring itself is rough and unglazed, the one place where the raw Hagi clay is completely exposed. This chawan will absorb tea slowly over time until the bowl carries a quiet record of every cup ever made in it.

- Oni haki yaki ware made by Hirose Nanshū (廣瀬南州) founded the Tsubaki-gama Tenpōzan kiln (椿窯天鵬山) in the Koshigahama district of Hagi City, Yamaguchi.
- The kiln was continued by his son Hirose Tanga (廣瀬淡雅), born in Shōwa 14 (1939), who trained under master potters Notomi Tomori (納富智利) and Andō Yoshiaki (安藤嘉章) before taking over the family practice.
- Under Tanga, the kiln's work was selected for the Kyūshū and Yamaguchi ceramic exhibitions from Shōwa 41 (1966).
- Tanga became a full member of the Shin-Kyōkai Fine Arts Association (新協美術会) in Shōwa 55 (1980) and received the Shin-Kyōkai Doryoku Prize (努力賞) in Shōwa 57 (1982).
- The Tenpōzan kiln holds the official 伝統工芸品 (Traditional Craft) designation from the Japanese government, trademark registration No.4-130116.
- The tomobako carries the hanko of Hirose Nanshū (南州) and is inscribed 萩焼茶碗天鵬山之造.
- The shiori is signed by Hirose Tanga and carries the original Koshigahama address with an operator-format telephone number, placing the documentation before ca. 1970.
- Included: original tomobako with founder's hanko and original shiori signed by his son.
- Made at the Tsubaki-gama Tenpōzan kiln (椿窯天鵬山), Koshigahama district, Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
- Early Shōwa era, estimated ca. 1960s or earlier, based on the operator-format telephone notation in the accompanying shiori.
- This places the bowl in the founding generation of the kiln, before the transition to the second generation under Hirose Tanga.
- Height: 8 cm.
- Diameter: 11.8cm.
- Weight: 292 gram.
- Excellent vintage condition, no chips, cracks or repairs.
- Appears to be unused.
- Hagi-yaki is porous and should never go in the dishwasher.
- Before first use, fill the bowl with cold water and allow it to soak for several hours so the clay can absorb slowly.
- After each use, rinse thoroughly and allow to dry completely before storing.
- Do not use detergent or a dishwasher.
- Over time, tea absorbed into the porous clay will gradually deepen the colour of the glaze. This is cha-nare (茶慣れ) and it is what Hagi bowls are made for.