A misfired Tenmoku Chawan tea bowl fused to the saya cylinder hailing from the Seto kilns of the early Edo period. It is roughly 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) diameter, 27 cm (11 inches) tall, without any form of repair or restoration. The appreciation of damaged pottery and kiln flaws in Japan arises from several overlapping aesthetic, philosophical, and historical traditions. Rather than being viewed simply as defects, irregularities created by the kiln—or even later damage—can become central to the meaning and value of a ceramic object. This sensibility developed gradually through the convergence of Zen thought, tea culture, and the aesthetics of wabi. The foundation of this appreciation lies in wabi-sabi, an aesthetic philosophy that values evidence of time and process, transience, imperfection, and irregularity.
※ The Tenmoku dai (tea bowl stand), tray, etc. shown in the latter half of the photos are sold separately.
