Two exquisite tenmoku shaped Chawan Tea Bowls covered in pink Peacock Glaze by early female artist Matsuyama Gae II enclosed in the original signed wooden box. One nests inside the other, 13 cm and 12 cm diameter respectively, 7 and 6.5 cm tall. Both are in perfect condition. They come with the original introductory pamphlet and stamped cloth wrapping.
Matsuyama Gae I Returned from China in 1945, where he had been posted for eight years and had studied in depth ancient Chinese ceramics. In 1947 he opened his own kiln and immediately won acclaim, as well as the Mayors award for Kobe in 1948. Working together with his wife they developed this glaze through trial and error in 1951. Several pieces were collected by the Imperial Household agency in 1953 and 1954, and a vase was sent as a gift to then President Eisenhower in 1960. During this time they received many awards and presented at a great many exhibitions. Gae died in 1963 of cancer, and after one year of mourning, Tsutako continued the name and work. She continued to exhibit and was again accepted into the Imperial collection in 1964, and was also featured at the World Exposition in 1970 held in Osaka. When she passed away her daughter continued the family tradition, becoming the third and last Matsuyama Gae.
