This is a bowl of soft loquat color, quietly imbued with the warmth characteristic of Hagi ware. The loquat color has been considered a color of auspiciousness since ancient times, bringing a gentle sense of good fortune. It fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, and one of its charms is the enjoyment of the unique aging process known as the "seven transformations of Hagi" as you use it. It can be used for both koicha (thick tea) and usucha (thin tea), and can be used year-round, starting with the first tea ceremony of the year and other celebratory occasions. Furthermore, as it has a written inscription by the 15th Urasenke Grand Master, Hounsai Soshu, you can use it with confidence at important tea gatherings. There are no scratches or repairs. Comes with a matching box and cloth. Diameter: 12.7 cm, Height: 8.3 cm, Base Diameter: 6.4 cm ▢ Hounsai Genshitsu (15th Urasenke Grand Master) Born in 1923, died in 2025. The 15th Grand Master of the Urasenke school of tea ceremony. Born in Kyoto in 1923, he graduated from the Faculty of Law and Economics at Doshisha University. He served in the Navy from 1943 until the end of the war. After the war, he practiced Zen at Daitoku-ji Temple under the head priest, Zuigan Zenji, and received the tonsure, taking the name Hounsai Genshu Soko Koji. In 1964, he succeeded his father, Tantansai, and was active both domestically and internationally. After retiring as Grand Master, he served as Daisosho (Grand Master). In his later years, he used the name Genshitsu. ▢ 15th Shinbei Sakakura Hagi ware. Yamaguchi. Born into the renowned Sakakura family of the Fukagawa kiln, as the eldest son of the 14th Shinbei. Graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in sculpture. He majored in ceramics in the graduate school. He studied under Koichi Tamura and Yoshimichi Fujimoto. After completing graduate school, he returned home and began making pottery under his father, the 14th Shinbei. In 1978, he succeeded to the name of the 15th Shinbei. Selected for the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition in 1978 and 1981. In 1979, he held a succession exhibition at Takashimaya, Osaka. From 1983, he was continuously selected for the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition, and from 1984, he became a regular member of the Japan Kogei Association. In 1988, he received the Nagato City Arts and Culture Encouragement Award. In 1989, he received the Yamaguchi Prefecture Arts and Culture Promotion Encouragement Award. In 1993, he held a solo exhibition at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Los Angeles. In 2004, he received the Yamaguchi Prefecture Award. In 2009, he held a 60th-anniversary exhibition in Tokyo and Yamaguchi. In 2013, he was certified as a Yamaguchi Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property for Hagi ware. In 2014, he held the "Shinbei's Raku, Kichizaemon's Hagi" exhibition at the Sagawa Art Museum. From 2012 to 2016, he served as a director of the Japan Kogei Association and the secretary-general of the Yamaguchi branch of the Japan Kogei Association. 【References】 Meisters and Artists of Tea Ceremony Utensils, Tankosha Kao of Tea Ceremony Practitioners, by Eiichi Oda, Kawahara Shoten Artists' Directory, Art Club #Why not have your own tea utensils? #TeaUtensils #Teabowl #HagiWare #ShinbeiSakakura #IdoTeabowl #TeaCeremony #Koicha #Usucha #KyotoAn #SennoRikyu #Urasenke #SoshitsuSen #Tankokai #AntiqueArt #Tantansai #Sekiso #Mugensai #Hagi #Chanoyu #TeaGathering #TeaRoom