A tall Kyoto tea bowl with a deep green rim and bold vertical dark decoration on a cream ground, accompanied by an inscribed wooden box.

Listing Title

CHW-352 Oribe-Style Chawan Attributed to Asami Ryuzo with Box

Measurements

I. Identification

Item CHW-352. Japanese Kyoto-ware tea bowl in the Oribe style; cylindrical tsutsu-gata form. Shōwa period, 20th century; exact production date unconfirmed. If the attribution is correct, it was made no later than 1987.

II. Artist & Lineage

Attributed to Asami Ryuzo (1904–1987), a Kyoto ceramic artist and second son of third-generation Asami Gorosuke. The original shipment sheet names Ryuzo Asami; Ryosuke Ueda’s October 6, 2026 response reads Ryuzo on both the bowl and box. These concordant sources support a strong attribution, rather than formal authentication.

III. Physical Characteristics

Diameter 9.5 cm; height 8.8 cm; weight 205 g. Box 12.2 cm square × 13.0 cm high; bowl and box together 425 g. Pale ceramic body, cream glazed interior, green upper interior and rim, and vertical dark painted decoration on the exterior. Circular trimmed foot and visible concentric throwing marks. Excellent condition. Eric Lane’s inspection on October 6, 2026 found no cracks, chips, scratches, or repairs on the chawan. Fine glaze crazing is visible. The shipment note records age-related discoloration on the wooden box; the bowl’s condition statement does not describe the box as mint.

IV. Inscriptions

Impressed maker’s mark near the foot, read as Ryuzo by Ryosuke Ueda. The box title appears to read Oribe chawan; Ueda also identifies its maker’s inscription as Ryuzo. The earlier reading as Jozan is superseded.

V. Tomobako/Kiribako

Accompanying inscribed wooden box, reported by Ueda to bear the same maker’s name. The original shipment photograph shows this bowl and box paired. This supports their association; it does not independently prove authorship of the box inscription.

VI. Provenance & Documentation

Original shipment sheet retained by Tea Dogu identifies Ryuzo Asami of Kyoto and describes a tsutsu-style bowl with Oribe design. Its 1990s date conflicts with the artist’s death in 1987 and is not adopted. Owner measurements supersede the sheet’s smaller dimensions. Ryosuke Ueda’s identification dated October 6, 2026 is retained. Earlier Kato Jozan III attribution is withdrawn.

VII. Market & Availability

One individual bowl with its accompanying box. Recommended Tea Dogu website asking price: $195, excluding shipping and tax. This is a retail recommendation, not an established sale result or actual published website price. See the separate pricing schedule for evidence and platform recommendations.

VIII. Aesthetic & Narrative

The upright profile gives the bowl a compact architectural presence. A broad green band anchors the irregular dark vertical strokes beneath it, while the pale interior offers a quiet contrast. Its distinctive proportions suit a buyer drawn to cylindrical tea bowls; practical whisking suitability depends on the user and whisk.

Diagnostic Factors

Oribe character is supported by the green glaze and contrasting dark decoration; the shipment note explicitly describes Oribe design and tsutsu form. Kyoto attribution comes from the named maker, not glaze alone. The shipment attribution and Ueda’s concordant readings are the strongest maker evidence. The exact production year remains open.

Photographic Record

Bowl, interior, foot, impressed mark, and accompanying box.