AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND IMPRESSIVE KILN-FUSED GROUP OF UNGLAZED BOWLS (YAMA CHAWAN)

拍品描述

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND IMPRESSIVE KILN-FUSED GROUP OF UNGLAZED BOWLS (YAMA CHAWAN) Japan, 13th-16th century, Kamakura (1185-133) to Muromachi period (1336-1573) An extraordinary example of accidental kiln formation, comprising a group of simple unglazed bowls fused together during firing. Originally stacked one inside another within the kiln, the vessels became permanently joined through the effects of intense heat, deformation, and natural ash deposits, resulting in a remarkable sculptural arrangement of overlapping forms. The rough clay bodies retain their irregular surfaces, with areas of ash accretion, kiln adhesions, and partial vitrification creating subtle variations in tone and texture. SIZE 54 x 52.5 cm The present work belongs to the tradition of unglazed Japanese utilitarian bowls often referred to as yama chawan (“mountain bowls”), which were produced in large quantities from the late Heian through Muromachi periods, particularly in the Tokai region. Fired in stacked formations, such bowls occasionally fused together through the unpredictable conditions of the kiln. Although originally regarded as unsuccessful firings, surviving examples are today appreciated for their accidental beauty and their embodiment of the Japanese aesthetic appreciation of imperfection and spontaneity (wabi). Museum comparison: Compare a related kiln-fused group of yama chawan, dated to the 13th century, Kamakura period (1185–1333), in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accession no. 1980.152.

图片