Sasaki Shoraku (b.1944) KOETSU style RAKU teabowl #5580

width: approx. 11.0cm (4.3in)
height: approx. 8.5cm (3.3in)
weight: 389g (w/ box 719g)
condition: Very good
Accessories: Original wooden box
Shipping: Shipped from Japan with a tracking number. We take great care in professional packaging to ensure the item arrives safely.

This exceptional Kuro Raku (black Raku) matcha tea bowl (chawan) is crafted by the renowned artisan Sasaki Shokou. It features a deep, velvety black glaze subtly accented with gentle reddish flashes and earthy golden undertones. Hand-formed using the traditional hand-kneading technique (tedukune), the bowl expresses a soft, organic asymmetry that feels remarkably natural and comfortable in the hands. The unique beauty of its hand-molded contour and the quiet interplay of glazes embody the essence of Japanese "wabi-sabi"—a celebration of imperfection, simplicity, and rustic elegance rooted in centuries of tea ceremony traditions. This piece serves not only as a functional tool for your daily matcha ritual but also as a striking artistic centerpiece for collectors of traditional Japanese ceramics and tea culture artifacts.

Sasaki Shoraku (1944- )
In 1905, the ancestor of the Nishikide school of pottery painting , Sasaki Kichinosuke, opened a kiln in Shimizuzaka, Kyoto. Under the guidance of the Zen Masters Goto Zuigan and Sesso Oda of the Daitoku-ji Temple, he used the great kiln of Daitoku-ji Temple to revive "Murasakino Pottery" (the kiln established in Daitoku-ji Temple in 1804 under the direction of the then-Head of Daitokuji-Temple, Chuho Souu (1759- 1838) , until its closing in 1818). His contributions to the reconstruction of Daitokuji after the war were recognized by Oda Sesso, and he received "Narumoken" order. The kiln was moved to Kameoka in Kyoto, as part of the 1944 evacuation. The name "Shoraku" was received from pottery work done by the founder of the Omoto religion, Deguchi Onisaburo, who knew about the kiln's moving. (“Yowan” tea bowls made of Shoraku kiln's clay by Onisaburo would later became famous.)
Sasaki Kichinosuke, the founder of the Shoraku kiln, was originally a painter of Nishiki-e style woodblock printing, and did not make tea bowls. It seems the kiln made flower pots until its second generation, with Sasaki Narimitsu (passed away in 1974). The third generation master, Sasaki Shoraku (real name Sasaki Teruo) has continued to make pottery specializing in tea utensils while studying Raku-yaki style pottery, and is also active using the Daitoku-ji kiln. Currently, Sasaki Koku (born 1964) is the fourth generation master of the Shoraku kiln.