A quintessential Nachi-guro Chawan Tea Bowl by the progenitor of this unique style Samukawa Seiho enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kishu-yaki Nachi-guro Yohen Chawan. The surface has a very fine grained texture, like miniaturized Sharkskin, and is a distinct and easily recognizable feature of this artist. It is 13.5cm (5-3/8 inches) wide 10 cm (4 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
Born in Osaka in 1900 and raised in Kyoto, Samukawa Seiho I began his apprenticeship in tea ware under Sawada Muneyama in 1919. With a letter of introduction, he entered the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics Research Facility in 1927. In 1935 he moved to the Buddhist enclave of Koyasan in Wakayama where he established his first kiln. He succeeded with the development of this Nacchi-guro glaze in 1956, and it became one of the signature features of his work. In 1962, his tea bowl was presented to the emperor. Five years later he would move, re-establishing his kiln in Shirahama-cho. He was awarded the Bunka Rodosho Cultural Prize in 1970, and in 1972 the Wakayama Order of Cultural Merit.
