Nogite Tenmoku tea bowl and attached vermilion lacquered stand with scroll carving

China

Southern Song dynasty (13th century)

Acquired in 1965 (donated by the Homma family)

Tenmoku tea bowls are among the most formal and revered style of tea bowl, They are named after Mount Tian Mu (“Tenmoku” in Japanese),where Japanese monks would visit mountain temples and see Chinese monks drinking tea from this type of bowl.

This Tenmoku tea bowl was fired at the Jian Yao kilns in Fujian Province, China. Nogite refers to the type of glaze. The iron crystals in the black glaze form streaks as the glaze flows down. These streaks are said to resemble the tips of rice or wheat, and are called nogime in Japanese. The accompanying stand is coated with vermilion lacquer, with a scroll-like pattern carved into the many layers of lacquer.