{"product_id":"skull-chawan-ー市川-透-茶盌-晴礼讃歌","title":"Skull Chawan ー市川 透 “茶盌 晴礼讃歌”","description":"\u003cp\u003eVisually arresting, this skull-form vessel by Ichikawa Tōru stands as one of the artist’s most expressive explorations of transience titled Chawan Seirei Sanka (“Tea Bowl: Hymn of Purification”), and enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The surface is densely layered with eruptive glazes that resemble mineral accretions or coral-like growths, creating a richly textured skin across the cranium. Fields of glossy white, pebble-like glaze cluster across the surface like calcified bone, interspersed with passages of deep green, vivid red, and molten gold luster that appear to flow and crystallize across the form. The gold surfaces glint like exposed metallic veins, while the red glaze spreads in visceral, organic currents that suggest both heat and living matter. This dramatic interplay of color, luster, and texture transforms the skull into something simultaneously archaeological and volcanic—a relic shaped by elemental forces rather than human hands alone. Although conceived within the vocabulary of the chawan, the open eye socket prevents practical use for drinking, emphasizing the work’s sculptural presence and its meditation on impermanence and transformation. The piece measures approximately 19.1 x 12.1 x 12.7 cm (7-1\/2 x 4-3\/4 x 5 inches) and in excellent condition, acquired directly from the artist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIchikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973. In 2015 he established his current studio in Bizen after 4 years of apprenticeship under another Bizen Outsider, Kakurezaki Ryuichi. He has since developed quite a following, with his shows selling out often within hours.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ichikawa Toru","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50575953920247,"sku":"MC1529","price":198500.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-01-0817.43.51.jpg?v=1773462331","url":"https:\/\/kuramonzen.com\/ja\/products\/skull-chawan-%e3%83%bc%e5%b8%82%e5%b7%9d-%e9%80%8f-%e8%8c%b6%e7%9b%8c-%e6%99%b4%e7%a4%bc%e8%ae%83%e6%ad%8c","provider":"Kura Monzen Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}