Late Edo Seto Karatsu Fukizumi Chawan Tea Bowl Gosu Maple Kintsugi Repair PCP316

Late Edo Seto Karatsu Fukizumi Chawan Tea Bowl Gosu Maple Kintsugi Repair

This is an antique Japanese Seto Karatsu matcha tea bowl (chawan) dating from the late Edo period, probably the 19th century.

The label on the wooden box identifies the piece as a “Seto Karatsu Fukizumi Chawan” (瀬戸唐津吹墨茶碗).

The bowl is made from a pale ceramic body and covered with a soft beige-white glaze showing fine natural crackle (kannyu). The exterior is decorated with stylized maple leaf motifs in muted underglaze blue (gosu).

A particularly notable feature of this bowl is the fukizumi decoration. Fukizumi is a traditional Japanese ceramic decorating technique in which pigment such as gosu is blown or sprayed onto the surface rather than being applied only with a brush. This creates a soft mist-like, speckled, or clouded effect, with subtle variations in density and tone. In some examples, stencils or masks are used to create clearly defined motifs against the sprayed pigment. On this bowl, the blue-gray decoration has the soft and slightly diffused appearance characteristic of this technique.

The combination of the pale crackled glaze, darkened rim, and understated fukizumi decoration gives the bowl the distinctive character traditionally associated with Seto Karatsu ware.

The rim has been traditionally restored using the Japanese kintsugi technique. The gold-colored repair has become part of the bowl’s history and adds an attractive visual accent.

There is also a natural kiln deposit attached to the inner rim. In Japan, this type of firing deposit is sometimes referred to as “kama-kuso.” It is formed when material from inside the kiln adheres to the vessel during firing and becomes fused to the glaze or body. This is an inherent characteristic of the original firing process rather than later damage.

The bowl has a low, neatly finished foot with visible concentric wheel marks. Its modest proportions, crackled glaze, fukizumi decoration, kiln effects, and old repair give it a strong wabi-sabi character suitable for use or display as a Japanese tea bowl.

Height: 5.0 cm / 1.96 in
Width: 11.8 cm / 4.64 in
Depth: 11.8 cm / 4.64 in
Weight: 140 g / 0.30 lbs

The item is in antique condition, showing signs of age and historical use. The surface displays natural glaze crackle (kannyu), minor wear, kiln marks, and other firing characteristics.

There is a kintsugi repair on the rim and a natural kiln deposit on the inner rim.

Please check the photos carefully for details and condition.