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Antique Korean Ceramic Komogai Chawan with Tamagode Glaze

Offered by: Tishu

Description
A ceramic tea bowl with milky white glaze made in Korea for Japanese market circa 16-17th century.
The thinly potted bowl is in the shape called Hatazori-gata (curving-lip type) that is known as Komogai (or Kumagawa) type. It was named after the historical port of Komogai, close to Bushan in Gyongsangnam-do, southern coast of Korea, where these bowls were traded and exported to Japan in the 16-17th century. The white glaze that covers nearly the entire surface resembles the color and texture of eggshell, therefore is known as Tamago-de. This type of glaze is rather rare, and few examples exist. It was believed that the Tamago-de glaze was only made in Korea from late 16th to mid-17th century during Japan's Edo period.
The tea bowl on offer bears typical characteristic of Tamago-de glaze. The smooth milky color glaze shows a fine crackle with scattered spots of flakes exposing the dark clay underneath. The glaze on the rim was largely worn off, so was on the base. There is a subtle indentation on the bottom of the interior known as kagami (tea pool). The ring base is relatively thick compared to the base and trimmed by the potter's knife. It appears delicate to the eyes, but it feels strong in the hands.
The bowl comes with a fabric pouch and a tomobako of a later period.
See a Tamago-de tea bowl named ‘Tamatsubaki’ in the collection of MOA (Musuem of Art, Atami, Japan). It has a slightly different shape.
For three Komogai-nari shaped tea bowls with various glaze, see G-5328, TG-2 and TG-2712 in the collection of Tokyo National Museum.

More Information

Origin:	South Korea
Period:	Pre 18th Century
Materials:	ceramic
Condition:	Fair. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Glaze flakes as shown. All historical and stable. Tomobako has wear.
Creation Date:	16-17th century
Styles / Movements:	Asian, Traditional
Patterns:	Asian/Oriental, Geometric, Handmade
Incollect Reference #:	607221

Dimensions

H.	2.85 in;	Diam.	5.2 in;
H.	7.24 cm;	Diam.	13.21 cm;

Message from Seller:

Our collection ranges from Neolithic Art to 20th century collectible art and design. It spans 5000 thousand years of history and crosses many civilizations and cultures. Our aesthetic strongholds are Mid-century studio design, Japanese and Korean art, Asian Textile Art and Contemporary Aboriginal Art. The diversity is united behind our singular vision to seek for timeless beauty and driven purely by our passion