A broad, shallow Mishima tea bowl with fine white-slip inlay, a flower-patterned well, and its kiln-inscribed wooden box.

Listing Title

CHW-676 Mishima Chawan Karaku Kiln Attributed to Shimizu Hiroshi III

I Identification

Mishima chawan for Japanese tea practice, with white-slip-filled impressed and incised decoration over a gray-brown ceramic body. A low, open profile reveals the richly patterned interior as the bowl is lifted and turned.

II Artist and Lineage

Attributed to third-generation Shimizu Hiroshi (Shimizu Hiroshi, born 1941), associated with the Rakuzan and Karaku kilns. The original seller named him as the maker. The accompanying box names Karaku kiln rather than the individual potter, so the personal attribution remains qualified. Published family documentation identifies Karaku-marked production with Korea.

III Physical Characteristics

The gently irregular rim opens into spreading walls above a compact raised foot. Fine geometric bands cover the exterior and interior; small circular flower motifs fill the well. A translucent gray glaze allows the pale inlay and underlying clay to remain visible, with warm ochre-brown variations. Dimensions are from the original seller; weight and foot diameter are unrecorded.

IV Inscriptions

Box: Mishima chawan — Mishima tea bowl. Kiln inscription: Karaku yō zō — Made at Karaku kiln. The impressed mark near the bowl’s foot is partially obscured by glaze and has not been independently deciphered as a personal signature.

V Tomobako and Kiribako

Accompanied by the wooden box presented with it in the original listing, bearing the tea-bowl title, kiln inscription, and red seal. Best described as a kiln-inscribed box; an individually signed artist tomobako is not established.

VI Provenance and Documentation

Acquired from the Japanese seller japanese.artisan in May 2022, with the original listing record retained. The seller’s estimate of approximately 30 years of age in 2022 supports a tentative circa-1990s date; there is no dated production inscription.

VII Market and Availability

A single vintage bowl with its accompanying box. Recommended website price: $145. Shipping and applicable taxes are additional unless separately specified.

VIII Aesthetic and Narrative

The pleasure of this bowl lies in the relationship between its restrained gray surface and lively, finely worked decoration. The flower-patterned well gives it a quiet focal point, while the open form offers a generous view of the matcha and surrounding inlay.

Diagnostic Factors

White-slip inlay in repeated stamped or incised bands; circular flower motifs in the well; low spreading form; compact foot; Karaku kiln inscription on the accompanying box. These features support the Mishima classification and kiln association. They do not by themselves establish individual authorship.

Condition

The original 2022 seller reported very good condition with no chips or cracks. Small interior clay attachments were described as original stacking and firing traces. Glaze variation and ochre-colored patches are visible. Repairs and present condition have not been independently confirmed; a current hands-on inspection should precede publication.

Research Sources

Gallery Kihō — Shimizu family profile and interview; explains Karaku markings for Korean-made work and Rakuzan markings for Japanese-made work. https://www.enshu-kiho.com/?mode=f4

CiNii Books — 1988 Shimizu Hiroshi exhibition catalogue commemorating Sagi Karaku kiln. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BD07182976

Seiyūdō — Related third-generation Shimizu Hiroshi Karaku Gohon Mishima bowl; displayed asking price ¥12,600, out of stock. Different shape and decoration. https://seiyudo.ocnk.net/product/12678

Object evidence: supplied bowl and box photographs; original japanese.artisan eBay listing, item 203932272623, ended May 8, 2022. Research reviewed October 16, 2026.