Japanese Black Raku Tea Bowl Kuro Chawan by Takahashi Dohachi II Second Generation Edo Period Antique Matcha Bowl with Original Signed Box Tomobako #5606

A quiet studio, filled with the scent of damp earth. Seated before the potter's wheel, Takahashi Dohachi II—who would later assume the name Niami—sat in quiet dialogue with the clay as it took shape beneath his hands.

“Do not force the shape. Simply entrust it to what the clay wishes to become.”

Dohachi sought to bring a free, generous spirit to the traditional aesthetic of Kyoto ceramics. As his fingertips gently expanded the clay, they formed a bowl that was not a rigid, perfect circle, but a vessel with a subtle, natural warping that nestled comfortably into one’s hands. Born directly from his palms, that gentle curve retained the very breath and warmth of its maker.

Removed from the wheel, the bowl left its raw, rugged clay texture exposed from the waist down to the foot, while its upper half was generously coated in a deep, jet-black glaze.

“There—”

Dohachi carved his signature small beside the foot—a mark of artisan pride and a quiet greeting to the unknown tea masters it would one day meet.

Before long, emerging from the heat of the kiln, a single black tea bowl was born. The contrast between the jet-black glaze and the rustic, warm raw clay resembled the deep night sky and a small light glowing within it.

Placing the bowl inside a wooden box, Dohachi took up his brush and wrote a handwritten inscription in bold, black ink on the inside of the lid:

“Kuro Chawan / Dohachi”

With that silent wish, the box was sealed away, traveling across centuries from the late Edo period through the hands of countless tea lovers.

Now, two hundred years have passed.

The box lid is lifted once more, and the tea bowl meets the sunlight again. Touching the rustic clay around its waist, one can almost feel the air of that 19th-century workshop where Dohachi II first kneaded the earth.

With its comfortable weight in the hands and a black glaze that changes character with every angle, this vessel is more than just a tool for drinking tea. It is a living, three-dimensional story that carries the warmth and playful spirit of a master craftsman across time.

width: approx. 11.5cm (4.53in)

height: approx. 8cm (3.15in)

weight: approx. 280g (w/ box 490g)

condition: Thin hair crack (nyu) and slight chip (hotsu) present. No water leakage.

Accessories: Original wooden box. (Items not pictured and photography props are not included.)

Shipping: Shipped from Japan with a tracking number. We take great care in professional packaging to ensure the item arrives safely.

Takahashi Dohachi 2nd
1783-1855
male
kyo pottery

He was commonly known as Nin’ami Dohachi. He was born as the second child of Takahashi Dohachi the first. Since his old brother died young, he took over the patrimony when he was 29 and opened a kiln in Gojozaka. He studied pottery under Okuda Eisen, Hozan Bunzou and so on. He was known as one of the experts of Kyo-yaki. He received the pseudonym of Nin from Ninnaji and Ami from Daigoji therefore, he called himself Ninami. He spread the technique of Kyo-yaki over the whole country.