The Charm and History of the 'Ido Tea Bowl,' the Pinnacle of Tea Ceramics: Part 2 / The World of Tea Ceramics ⑥
In Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), the tea bowl is arguably the star of the tea room.
From the medieval to the early modern period, a diverse array of ceramic tea bowls was created, each harboring its own unique history and aesthetic sensibility.
In this series, we will comprehensively discuss representative types of tea ceramics, covering their origins and historical backgrounds, as well as their forms, techniques, characteristics, aesthetic values, and relationships with tea masters.
This time, we will explain the charm of the 'Ido tea bowl,' the king of Goryeo tea bowls, in two parts: the first and second halves.
Click here for the first part
Historical Background of the Ido Tea Bowl
Production and Characteristics in Korea
It is believed that Ido tea bowls were fired in folk kilns scattered along the southern coastal region of the Korean Peninsula (from present-day South Jeolla Province to South Gyeongsang Province) around the 15th to 16th centuries.
These kilns belonged to a lineage derived from Goryeo celadon and mass-produced miscellaneous wares that could be considered offshoots of celadon.
The Ido tea bowl was also originally a simple piece of pottery made as a rice bowl or a vessel for ritual use, characterized by a combination of coarse yellowish-brown clay and a white transparent glaze rich in feldspar.
As they were popular everyday utensils of the early Joseon Dynasty, the names of the potters who made them have not been passed down at all, and most were the work of anonymous craftsmen.
Regarding the origin of the name 'Ido tea bowl,' there are various theories, such as the idea that 'when you peer into it, you feel the depth of the bottom of a well,' or that it is named after a place on the Korean Peninsula (Semigol in Hadong County, South Gyeongsang Province, where 'ido' means well in the local dialect), or even the anecdote that the warlord Ido Kakuhiro (Ido Wakasa no Kami) brought it back during the Bunroku-Keicho campaigns, but there is no definitive consensus.
Introduction to Japan and the Momoyama Tea Ceramics Boom
It is said that Goryeo tea bowls first appeared in Japanese literature in 1537, suggesting that Korean-made tea bowls had been gradually brought to Japan since the mid-16th century.
The tea ceremony of that time was a period when tastes were beginning to shift from the Chinese-imported 'karamono' tea bowls, which had been prized until then, to the 'wabi-cha' advocated by Sen no Rikyu and others.
Ido tea bowls attracted attention as simple, rustic bowls suitable for wabi-cha, and records remain of them being used at tea gatherings in Sakai during the Tensho and Bunroku eras (1570s–1590s).
During the Momoyama period, tea masters such as Sen no Rikyu and Furuta Oribe adopted Korean tea bowls one after another, and the Ido tea bowl came to be evaluated as the best in the world, the 'pinnacle of wabi.'
Even after Rikyu's death, famous Ido tea bowls were cherished by powerful figures such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, and they took on such rarity that hundreds of gold coins would change hands for a single bowl.
The background to why Ido tea bowls captivated even the rulers and daimyo of the time was a major transformation in the values of the tea ceremony.
In other words, as recorded in tea books of the time, 'It began with Juko celadon, and then the Ido tea bowl was praised as the first,' a paradigm shift in aesthetics occurred where the highest beauty was found in anonymous miscellaneous wares instead of the high-class ceramics of the past.
The Arrival of Joseon Potters in Japan and Attempts at Domestic Production
During the Bunroku-Keicho campaigns (1592–1598), many Korean potters were taken to various parts of Japan or invited by daimyo.
They opened kilns in various places such as Hizen (Saga/Nagasaki), Satsuma (Kagoshima), Nagato (Yamaguchi), and Chikuzen (Fukuoka), contributing significantly to the development of Japanese ceramics.
Among them, Karatsu ware in Hizen Province has a particularly deep relationship with the Ido tea bowl.
Around the Keicho era, Korean potters built kilns in areas such as Yamase and Aratani in Karatsu and fired tea bowls using techniques transmitted from Korea.
According to excavation surveys, pottery shards in the Ido tea bowl style have been discovered at the old kiln sites in Yamase, but it is said that only a few were true Ido-like pieces, and most were unpatterned 'saki' (simple ash-glazed pottery).
However, works in the style of Ido tea bowls remain among Karatsu wares, and there were pieces known as 'Karatsu Ido' even at that time.
As a result, domestic tea bowls modeled after Ido tea bowls were created in Japan from the end of the Momoyama period to the early Edo period.
Although these Japanese-made Ido imitations did not reach the quality or texture of authentic Ido bowls, they speak to how high the popularity of Ido tea bowls was.
From the mid-Edo period onwards, while the variety of domestic tea bowls such as Raku, Hagi, and Mino wares increased, the 'kawatari' (imported from Korea) Ido tea bowls were increasingly valued, and their antique value rose.
Changes in Evaluation by Tea Masters
The Ido tea bowl, which gained immense acclaim in the Momoyama period, was passed down among tea masters and daimyo throughout the Edo period, and its grading and nomenclature became established.
In the early Edo period, names and provenances began to be attached to famous tea utensils, and many Ido tea bowls were given names derived from their owners (such as the Kizaemon Ido, Tsutsuizutsu, and Hosokawa mentioned later).
In particular, Matsudaira Fumai (a daimyo tea master and lord of the Matsue Domain) loved Ido tea bowls dearly, and while selecting the world's best tea bowls himself, he popularized titles such as the 'Three Great Ido Bowls' (Kizaemon, Hosokawa, and Kaga) and the 'Three Great Tea Bowls of the World' (Kizaemon, Tsutsuizutsu, and Hosokawa).
Because of this, the Ido tea bowl was positioned as a legendary masterpiece, distinct from other Chinese or domestic tea bowls.
Nevertheless, in the late Edo period, critical views emerged regarding the trend of collectively prizing Goryeo tea bowls of unknown origin.
It is said that the late Edo period tea master Yamashina Ogoya stated, 'The trend of prizing Goryeo tea bowls is truly vanity,' but the prestige of the Ido tea bowl remained unshaken.
After that, in the Meiji era, the tea ceremony culture itself declined for a time, but they began to be introduced overseas as works of art.
In the 20th century, Yanagi Soetsu praised the Kizaemon Ido in his book 'The Universe in a Tea Bowl' as 'the supreme beauty born of an anonymous craftsman,' which left a great impression on Western potters like Bernard Leach.
Combined with the evaluation of this Mingei (folk craft) movement, the Ido tea bowl became known internationally. Today, academic research is progressing in both Japan and South Korea, and scientific analysis of production areas and manufacturing techniques is also being conducted (for example, verification through component analysis of the clay in the foot).
Although there are still many mysteries regarding the provenance of Ido tea bowls, their historical and artistic value remains unchanged, and they are still passed down today as a symbolic existence of tea ceremony culture.
Ido Tea Bowls Seen in Masterpieces: Examples of Famous Ido Tea Bowls
Many Ido tea bowls have left their names in tea ceremony history as masterpieces and famous items, but here we introduce some of the most prominent ones. All are called the best in the world and are tea bowls with anecdotes and traditions.
Large Ido Tea Bowl, Named 'Kizaemon'
A masterpiece that can be called synonymous with the Ido tea bowl, known as the world's greatest tea bowl.
At the end of the Momoyama period, it was owned by the wealthy Osaka merchant Takeda Kizaemon, and it got its name because he would not let it go even if his fortune declined.
After that, it passed through the hands of Honda Tadayoshi, lord of the Kaga Domain, and the Sakai tea master Nakamura Sōsetsu, before reaching Matsudaira Fumai, lord of the Matsue Domain, who counted it as the head of the 'Three Great Ido Bowls.'
There is even an ominous legend that drinking matcha from this bowl would cause boils on the body, and after passing through various owners, it was finally donated to Daitoku-ji Koho-an.
It is currently passed down at Koho-an and was the first tea bowl to be designated a National Treasure in 1951 (other tea bowls designated as National Treasures include Raku Chojiro's 'White Raku Tea Bowl, named Fuji' and 'Black Raku Tea Bowl, named Yukimatsu,' but the Kizaemon Ido is the only ceramic tea bowl).
It is a magnificent large Ido bowl with a height of 9.4 cm and a diameter of 15.5 cm, and the loquat-colored glaze and 'kairagi' (crackle glaze) create a stunning landscape, and it has been praised as 'there is no tea bowl better than this.'
It has had a great influence not only on tea utensil enthusiasts but also on overseas potters, and is often mentioned as the 'most famous tea bowl in the world.'
Large Ido Tea Bowl, Named 'Tsutsuizutsu'
One of the world's great tea bowls, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Kizaemon Ido.
It is said that it was originally owned by the Sengoku warlord Tsutsui Junkei, who received it from the Nara tea master Zengyo, and it was named 'Tsutsuizutsu' because its deep bowl shape and high foot were likened to a cylinder (a design that also relates to the Tsutsui family crest).
Junkei presented it to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but one day, one of Hideyoshi's pages accidentally dropped the bowl and broke it into five pieces.
The anecdote is famous where, at the moment an enraged Hideyoshi was about to execute the page, Hosokawa Yusai (Fujitaka), who happened to be there, improvised a poem likening it to a waka poem from 'The Tales of Ise':Tsutsuizutsu, the Ido tea bowl broken into five pieces; it seems the blame for this should be borne by me.and interceded to have the page's crime forgiven.
The broken tea bowl was beautifully joined with lacquer by a master craftsman and has been carefully passed down since then.
Currently, 'Tsutsuizutsu' is in a former private collection in Kanazawa City and is designated as an Important Cultural Property.
With a diameter of 14.5 cm and a height of 7.9 cm, it is slightly smaller than Kizaemon, but its grand and rustic taste possesses the style typical of an Ido tea bowl, and it is counted as one of the 'Three Great Tea Bowls of the World' (Kizaemon, Tsutsuizutsu, and Hosokawa).
Large Ido Tea Bowl, Named 'Hosokawa'
A masterpiece named after the fact that it was cherished by the early Edo period general Hosokawa Sansai (Tadaoki).
Later, it was passed from Sansai through the Sendai Date family to Matsudaira Fumai, and it became famous as one of the 'Three Great Ido Bowls' (Kizaemon, Hosokawa, and Kaga) selected by Fumai.
It is a magnificent large Ido bowl with a height of 9.4 cm and a diameter of 15.8 cm, and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1978.
In addition to its calm and dignified appearance, it is noteworthy that it perfectly possesses the conditions of an Ido tea bowl down to the smallest detail.
It has a gentle bowl shape with well-balanced potter's wheel marks, and a small but high and clearly carved bamboo-node foot.
The glaze is a bright loquat color with a slight reddish tint, and vivid white 'kairagi' blooms densely from the waist to the inside of the foot, expressing the highlights of an Ido tea bowl without omission.
Since there are no kiln marks inside the foot, it is presumed to have been fired at the top of the kiln, and it is a masterpiece that shows the style of a first-class item.
It is currently housed in the Hatakeyama Memorial Museum in Tokyo and is the object of desire for tea utensil fans.
In addition to these, there are countless other famous Ido tea bowls, such as the 'Large Ido Tea Bowl, named Kaga' (passed down through the Kaga Maeda family and one of the Three Great Ido Bowls), the 'Old Ido Tea Bowl, named Koshio' (cherished by Kobori Enshu), the 'Blue Ido Tea Bowl, named Shibata' (formerly owned by Furuta Oribe), and the 'Uraku Ido' (formerly owned by Oda Uraku).
The fact that each has been given a unique name and story is proof of how much Ido tea bowls have stirred the longing and imagination of tea masters.
Each bowl created by an anonymous potter has been given new value and stories by its owners and admirers, becoming a one-of-a-kind 'masterpiece' passed down to the present day.
References
1. Fujita Art Museum 'Large Ido Tea Bowl, Named Kozan' Exhibition Commentary (2023)
2. Ishikawa Prefectural Board of Education 'Ceramic Tea Bowl, Named Tsutsuizutsu' from 'Cultural Properties of Ishikawa' Commentary (2016)
3. Ebara Hatakeyama Memorial Museum of Fine Art 'Ido Tea Bowl, Named Hosokawa' Collection Commentary (2022)
4. Yoshiaki Yabe 'Ido Tea Bowl' from 'Encyclopedia Nipponica' Shogakukan
5. Geihinkan Antique Glossary 'What is an Ido Tea Bowl' (Geihinkan Website)
6. Antique shop Chano-yu, “Japan’s national treasure: Korean ido pottery tea bowl KIZAEMON IDO”(Blog article, 2015)
7. Wikipedia Japanese Version 'Ido Tea Bowl' Article (Last updated 2023) (*Refers to various primary sources)