Antique Chinese Porcelain China Tea Bowl Horse Ming Dynasty Mark Kosometsuke

无货

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Condition Report: / / Overall Condition A Kintsugi repaired T hairline, some crackle lines and fritting. Warped. Size: 108x70mm

Antique Kosometsuke Chawan This fabulous chawan (tea bowl) dates from the early 17th century. With a very nice scene of flying phoenixes.

It is a kosometsuke (old sometsuke) ware, which usually designate ancient Chinese underglaze cobalt blue porcelain. They were initially imported from China to Japan to be used in palaces in temples by tea ceremony masters. Though kosometsuke are not originally high quality ceramics, they were popular among tea masters of the early Edo period (1615-1868), specifically for that reason, and probably influenced by the designs of Japanese Oribe ware. The bodies can be heavy and thick, the clay was not high fired and sometimes, the slightly bluish glaze would peel off. An often seen feature of kosometsuke, as can be seen on this particular piece, is called “mushi-kui” (insect bite) for it looks as if in some spots, worms have eaten their way into the porcelain. The painted motifs also are more freely designed.  The chawan is a wonderful example of the “twisted” beauty of kosometsuke ware and is very well preserved.

Phoenix

Phoenix – Feng-Huang – represents the Empress, beauty, goodness, warmth, prosperity, peace, the Sun, abundance harvests, reason in government. It is commonly used as a female symbol. Rules of the Southern Quadrant. Also called Vermilion Bird.

Source: Nilson, J. Gotheborg: Antique Chinese and Japanese Porcelain Collectors’ Help and Info Page. Retrieved from the Gotheborg website.

Similar pots are pictured in for example:
Ko-Sometsuke (two volume set in slipcase with carton box), Kawahara, Masahiko, Published by Kyoto Shoin Co., Ltd., Japan, 1977, page 114-119

All will be packed neat and sent track and trace airmail with insurance. Packages are always shipped on the next wednesday. If there is a specific hurry please contact us.