It is the masterpiece with a mesh design that is considered one of the most famous among tenkei-akae. The mesh has the meaning of making wishes come true, and it covers the entire front and back to prevent wishes from spilling out. It's extremely thin, and you can feel the advanced technology in every corner. This is the rare work with the year name "Made in Tianqi（Tenkei）" written on it.
Inquiry
- Product Code
- 231122-1
- Period
- Ming Dynasty
Early 17th century
- Weight
- 255g
- Diameter
- 20.0cm
- Height
- 3.6cm
- Bottom Diameter
- 10.6cm
- Description
- Paulonia Box
- Provenance
- Kochukyo
- Condition
- Excellent Condition（There are mushikui at the edge）
The base, coloring, and firing are ideal, and they are in excellent condition.
The mesh design is particularly popular among tenkei-akae and kosometsuke. The soft floral design on the front and back sides are so gorgeous that you can almost feel the fragrance from the sight. The number of tenkei-akae works is extremely small compared to kosometsuke ones, and it is clear that this stylish design was a special order from the japanese tea master.
The tall tiered and rimmed shape makes it useful as the bowl for sweets for tea ceremonies.
The year name “Made in Tianqi（Tenkei）” is written within the double circle. ※Tianqi（1621～27）
It has a provenance and is handled by kochukyo.
Tenkei-Akae
Tenkei-akae refers to the overglaze enamels porcelain that were fired at the jingdezhen kiln in china, mainly during the late ming dynasty’s tianqi era（1621-27）. Colors such as red, green, yellow, and black are added to match the blue and white of the base, and the work is characterized by a free spirited style that is stylish and tasteful. During this era, with the fall of the Wanli Emperor, the jingdezhen imperial kiln was closed down, and the civilian kiln took the lead in production and sales. Potters who worked at the jingdezhen imperial kiln moved to the civilian kiln to make a living, leaving behind masterpieces that are reminiscent of the jingdezhen imperial kiln. Most of them belong to the tenkei-akae, kosometsuke, and shonzui. Many tenkei-akae works have glaze peeling off due to differences in the shrinkage rates of the clay and glaze, exposing the inner clay. This phenomenon, which resembles the appearance of being eaten by worms, is called “Mushikui（worm eaten）”. One characteristic is that mushikui（some holes）can often be found in areas where the glaze is thinly applied, such as the rim or angular parts. While this might be considered a flaw in ordinary porcelains, master of tea ceremony found elegance in this natural phenomenon and appreciated the rough taste, valuing it as an aesthetic effect.