Author:
Asami Shōzui
 
Country of origin:
Japan
 
Period:
Showa
 
Item Type
Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
 
Materials:
Stoneware (tōki), black glaze (kuroyu)
 
Condition:
Good Condition, with original signed box
 
Color:
Black, White
 
Authentic, True work of Art
 
Size 9.5cm x 9.5cm
 
This black-glazed cylindrical matcha bowl (筒茶碗) by the Kyoto potter Asami Shōzui (祥瑞造) represents the quiet, meditative refinement of the Way of Tea (茶の湯), merging traditional Kyoto craftsmanship with a deep philosophical sensitivity to form and void.
The bowl’s vertical silhouette, the tsutsu form, is traditionally used in the winter months, when the shape preserves warmth in the tea. Its upright walls and modest base offer both visual stability and tactile intimacy, encouraging the guest’s hands to embrace the vessel with reverence and awareness.
The black glaze (kuroyu), softly lustrous and rich with iron, expresses the aesthetics of yūgen (幽玄), the mysterious depth of quiet beauty, and the wabi-cha spirit of Sen no Rikyū: austerity, imperfection, and the profound elegance of restraint. The surface reveals a subtle modulation of tone, from deep ink-black to charcoal gray, a dialogue between light and shadow that animates the void within.
Each trace of the potter’s hand, from the slightly uneven lip to the spiral rokuro-me on the interior, speaks of a living rhythm between human touch and natural material : an embodiment of the Zen ideal that “form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.”
Asami Shōzui stands within the lineage of Kyoto’s refined tea ceramics, inheriting the aesthetic vocabulary of Raku, Shino, and Karatsu, yet interpreting them with a distinctive modern sensibility. His works resonate with the concept of “stillness within movement” (seijaku no naka no ugoki), capturing a moment of eternal calm within the act of creation.
The 黒釉筒茶碗 serves as a mirror to the mind of the user: simple yet infinite, dark yet luminous. Its quiet presence transforms the act of preparing and drinking tea into a meditative encounter with transience (mujō) and harmony (wa).
 
The glaze is a rich iron-oxide kuroyu, likely fired in a reduction atmosphere, producing a dense, reflective finish with subtle variations in tone and texture. The potter’s mark is impressed near the foot, and the signed tomobako (共箱) attests to authenticity and the artist’s personal completion of the piece.
When displayed, the bowl’s understated form and monochrome surface harmonize beautifully with Japandi and wabi-sabi interiors, where natural textures, neutral palettes, and quiet spaces emphasize craftsmanship and spiritual resonance. The piece functions not only as a chadōgu but also as an object of contemplation, a vessel of stillness and light.
Placed under soft illumination, the black glaze reveals a delicate luster reminiscent of ink-washed lacquer or wet river stones, evoking the timeless intimacy of the tea room.