Chawan Kuroraku Ichinyu Akebono Utsushi

Handmade dark vermillion color raku tea bowl, a replica of the historical "Akebono" tea bowl from Ichinyū, the fourth-generation raku master.

Akebono means "dawn," literally the first light before sunrise. In raku ware, it refers to a glaze effect that evokes the changing hues of the sky at daybreak. The akebono style was originally created by the fourth-generation Raku master Ichinyū.

This tea bowl exemplifies Ichinyū's distinctive aesthetic. It features a flared lower body, an inward-curving rim, and pronounced spatula marks on the sides, all characteristic of his work. The black glaze is subtly infused with vermilion, creating a tonal effect that, true to its name, recalls the first light of dawn.

Place of origin: Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

About Raku pottery
Sen no Rikyū, the founder of Japanese tea ceremony, was involved in the construction of the Jurakudai palace, the new residence of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the most powerful man of his time. At the construction, Rikyū met Tanaka Chōjirō, a tile-maker. Chōjirō crafted hand-moulded, roughly-shaped tea bowls from porous red clay, and they developed a style together that fit perfectly in Rikyū’s wabicha concept. Chōjirō’s innovative ceramic art, embracing rustic beauty and imperfections, had and still has a profound impact on Japanese ceramic art.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi personally presented Jokei, Chōjirō's son, with a seal that bore the Chinese character for raku (“enjoyment"). Since then, Raku has been the name of the family that produced the wares called raku ware. Both the name and the ceramic style have been passed down through the generations of the family, up to the current 16th generation.

INITIATION
We strongly recommend initiating the Raku bowl before use!
Raku bowls are extremely fragile, as their clay is fairly porous. An appropriate initiation makes them significantly sturdier.
In case you order initiation, we do it for you before sending the bowl. If you prefer doing the initiation yourself, you can find instructions about how to do it in our Raku chawan blog post (linked below).

☆ WE GUARANTEE SAFE DELIVERY - if the product gets damaged in transit we will replace or make a refund.

☆ HANDMADE PRODUCT - Please note that the item we have in stock might not be the same piece shown on the pictures above. Each piece is unique and slightly different from each other. If you are particular about either the size, the capacity or the appearance, contact us, and we will share photos or the exact details of our available pieces in stock.

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