217. Narumi Oribe kutsugata chawan

217. Narumi Oribe 鳴海織部 kutsugata chawan (clog-shaped teabowl)

Narumi (aka red Oribe) is a technique in which two clays are used to make a piece. Here a white clay was used to form the upper edge of the walls; most of this was subsequently covered with the dark green Oribe glaze. In some places on the exterior lower edge of the green glaze, a narrow band of the white clay is visible, revealing how irregular this area is. The rest of the piece was formed from a reddish brown clay. A thin white slip was applied to most of this area, resulting in a pinkish color when the pot was fired. Additional decoration was applied in dark brown and white. The foot ring and the area around it were left unglazed. Weight: 304 g (11 oz). Height: 7.3 cm (2-7/8 in). Width: 13.6 x 10.4 cm (5-3/8 x 4-1//8 in). 

This sits on the foot ring, which mirrors the shape of the piece as a whole. It is 6.3 x 5.7 cm (2-12 x 2-1/4 in) and roughly 0.6 cm (1/4 in) high inside and out. Above the foot ring, the walls move outward at about a 15-degree angle to a height of 1.2 cm (1/2 in) and the approximate dimensions of the piece. From there the walls rise in more or less a straight line to a height of 5 cm (2 in). Above this the rim bulges outward and then upward to meet the rim of the cup, with several horizontal ridges running around the cup. This is smooth to the touch. The unglazed portion around the ring foot is also quite smooth—the red clay used here is very fine textured. 

The green band encircles the rim and the upper walls. It was allowed to drip down in several places. The interior and most of the exterior walls were coated with a thin white slip. This area is dimpled with small dots and thin lines where the clay shows through. Brown and white glazes were used to add decoration to the piece. The front has a stylized branch with leaves. This was done very carefully and deliberately. An attempt was made to make the branch appear three-dimensional. Unusually, the design spreads across the front and onto the right side. On the back of the piece are three crudely drawn circles. 

This came in a box with “Naru(mi) Oribe” 鳴織部 inscribed in the center. The characters on the left are too cursive for me to decipher. 

The seller claimed that this dates to the Meiji era. 

A nice example of red Oribe and the kutsugata shape. The formal, careful decoration on the front of the piece contrasts nicely with the slapdash circles on the back. The piece has good balance. 

Purchased from Treasures of Old Times in Bangkok, June 2023.