Ryōnyū
Late Edo period (18th–19th century)
Donated by the Homma family
This is a kuroshio tea bowl by Kyōto potter Ryōnyū (1756–1834), a ninth-generation member of the Raku family. “Kuroshio” (lit. “black salt”) is derived from the use of a jar meant for storing salt as a tea bowl, a practice with its origins in Joseon-period Korea. Tsutsu chawan tea bowls are especially useful during winter because the shape helps keep the tea from cooling down too quickly.
Ryōnyū was a master craftsman who helped revive the Raku name. Many of his works imitated the style of Dōnyū, a third-generation member of the Raku family. This tea bowl was passed down to the Homma family by Shūgon Kikuchi, chief priest of Jōfuku-ji Temple in Sakata, in 1905.