Sea foam seems to wash into the smooth basin of this wide Karatsu pottery bowl enclosed in a period wooden collectors box titled Ko-Karatsu Chawan signed by 14th head of the Urasenke Tea School Tantansai. Outside the clefts remain from the artist fingers deeply grooving the surface and making for a tactile experience. It is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, 7.5 cm (3 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
Tantansai (1893–1964) was the 14th-generation head (iemoto) of the Urasenke school of Japanese tea ceremony. His full name was Sen Sōshitsu XIV, and he is remembered for his significant contributions to adapting and modernizing the practice of tea ceremony in the 20th century, while preserving its core principles and values. Tantansai became the head of the Urasenke school in 1937, a time marked by great social and political upheaval, including World War II. Despite these challenges, he worked to keep the tea ceremony relevant in a rapidly changing world. He introduced innovations that allowed the practice to appeal to a broader audience, emphasizing tea as a way to promote peace and cultural exchange. He was instrumental in making the tea ceremony accessible internationally, hosting tea gatherings abroad and fostering cross-cultural understanding. Tantansai’s legacy is one of adaptability, ensuring the tea tradition remained vibrant and meaningful in modern times.
