By SHUNSUKE NAKAMURA/ Senior Staff Writer
August 6, 2020 at 07:00 JST
A Yuteki Tenmoku tea bowl owned by the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, in Osaka (Provided by the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka)
OSAKA--The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, is holding a special exhibition featuring 24 masterpieces, including a national treasure tea bowl, to highlight the exquisite beauty of Chinese black-glazed ware.
The "Tenmoku--The Beauty of Chinese Black-Glazed Ware" event runs until Nov. 8, with tea bowls, jars and ewers on display.
Tenmoku is a type of Chinese black-glazed tea bowl produced in Jian-yao kilns in the country’s Fujian province and in Jizhou-yao kilns in the Jiangxi province.
Tenmoku ware was highly valued as "karamono" (fine products imported from China) among tea masters and members of the elite in Japan’s medieval times.
The highlight of the exhibition is a Yuteki Tenmoku, or "oil-spotted tenmoku" tea bowl, which is designated as a national treasure by the government.
Covered with silvery spots produced during the firing process, it is regarded as the best surviving example of Tenmoku craftsmanship.
The iridescent patterns glimmering against the backdrop of the jet-black surface are reminiscent of a microcosmic galaxy trapped in a bowl.
The piece is placed on a rotating platform to show its glistening beauty that transforms every second as it rotates 360 degrees. A step is also placed nearby for visitors to peek into the bottom of the bowl.
Other must-see exhibits include: a Konoha Tenmoku, an important cultural property with a leaf pattern with veins imprinted on the surface of the bowl; a Nogime Tenmoku bowl featuring detailed patterns that appear like rabbit hair; a Taihi Tenmoku bowl with tortoiseshell-like patterns; and ewers and a Meiping vase featuring white ribs and scratched patterns on the high-contrasting, dull black-glazed surface.
The museum also published a catalog for the exhibition with vivid photos shot with a high-performance camera by photographer Shigeru Nishikawa.
"We are amazed by how these photos show the colors and textures that were previously hidden from view. See how real ones look like for yourself," said Hitoshi Kobayashi, deputy chief of the curator's office.
Another featured exhibition titled "Modern Tenmoku--Tradition and Creativity" is also concurrently held at the venue.
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