A large number of tenmoku tea bowls produced in China have been handed down in collections in Japan. The tea bowls known as Yohen Tenmoku (tea bowl with iridescent glaze) and Yuteki Tenmoku (tea bowl with oil-spot pattern), which have been drawing public attention both inside and outside Japan in recent years, are the greatest masterpieces of black-glazed ware produced at the Jian kilns in the Song dynasty. The only example of Yuteki Tenmoku designated as a National Treasure among those being handed down in Japan is housed in the collection of our museum.
This exhibition focuses on Chinese black-glazed ware, particularly tenmoku tea bowls, which is an important ceramic tradition within the history of Chinese ceramics. It showcases twenty-four works from the Tang through the Song and Jin dynasties, mainly in our collection along with several works from private collections, which represent the world as well as the beauty of Chinese black-glazed ware.
We are also showing the Featured Exhibition “Modern Tenmoku—Tradition and Creativity”, which introduces diverse expressions combining the tradition with individual creativity through tenmoku works produced by modern and contemporary artists.