Sugimoto Genkaku Sadamitsu: Small Kohiki Wabi Tea Bowl

A small Kohiki tea bowl by Sugimoto Sadamitsu, whose work focuses on Momoyama-period ceramics and tea wares, including Shigaraki, Iga, Raku, Shino, Oribe, and Ki-Seto.

Having studied for many years under the Zen master Tachibana Daiki of Daitokuji Temple, Sugimoto has made the spirit of Rikyu's wabi a central concern of his pottery. His Small Wabi Tea Bowls (Ko-Wabi Chawan) embody this philosophy through their dimensions and form.

These bowls take their cue from the tea bowls made by Chojiro under Rikyu's guidance, which were small enough to rest comfortably in the palms of one's hands. Rather than following the tendency to value greater size, Sugimoto finds in a modest, carefully considered scale the principle of "knowing sufficiency" (chisoku) and a restrained beauty.

Although one can only speculate, this seems the natural choice for the front of the bowl. Here, a narrow strip of white slip appears to have been scraped away from the rim, resembling the Shiraito Falls cascading through a remote mountain valley.

During a visit to Sugimoto's kiln, his wife showed me a Kohiki sake flask made by her husband, which she had treasured and used for decades. Kohiki develops greater depth and character through use, and this flask was among the most beautiful examples I had ever seen.

Ø 128 mm
H 75 mm
Includes: Original wooden box