A rustic Chawan tea bowl perfect for summer Maccha by Takatori Hassen XIII (Sousen) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Takatori Kutsugata Chawan. The flowing glaze is a perfect example of the best of Takatori ware. It is 13 x 12 x 7 cm (roughly 5 inches diameter) 7 cm (3 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
Takatori Hassen XIII (Yasuo, born 1934), who later changed his name to Takatori Sousen, is the 13th-generation master of the Hassen lineage with roots in the 17th century. Growing up in a ceramic family in the Toho district of Koishiwara, he began sorting and preparing raw clay materials by age 9. Upon graduating from school in 1949, he fully entered the family business at age 15 to master the potter's wheel. He trained under his grandfather, Sassen Sashichi, and later studied ancient kiln techniques with Miwa Yanosuke. In 1953, at just 18 years old, he succeeded the family line to become Takatori Hassen XIII. Concurrently, he achieved early domestic acclaim by winning prizes at the National Ceramic Exhibition and establishing a regular presence at the Fukuoka Prefecture Art Exhibition. In 2005 he was decorated by the Emperor of Japan with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays (Zuibo Tankosho) for lifetime contribution to the traditional arts. In 2019, following a lifetime of leadership, he stepped down as the active head of the kiln to allow the next generation to succeed. Upon his retirement from the official title, he took the art name Sousen.
