Rare Zen Chawan Zenmi by Tenryū-ji’s Seki Bokuō 関牧翁 and Hara Kiyokazu

Ceramics decorated by Zen monks are seldom seen and this piece is no exception. Two red enamel characters are boldly brushed in red enamel conveying the strong bond between Zen and the tea ceremony. The bowl is inscribed and named Taste of Zen (Zenmi 禅味), and dates to the 1970s, when Seki Bokuō 関牧翁 (1903 – 1991) was well into his abbotship at Tenryū-ji, one of most important, and certainly most beautiful temples in Kyoto. The bowl itself is by the well-known hagi potter, Hara Kiyokazu 原賢次(b. 1939), who became known as Hara Shōun 原祥雲 after 1981 when he received his artistic name from Hirata Seiko, who had been had been a student of Seki Bokuō. Spots, called gohonte, randomly appear during firing as part of a chemical reaction between the glaze and the heat. It is 7.6 x 12.7 cm and in perfect condition, without cracks or repairs. It comes in a tomobako, signed by both the potter and Bokuō, with the potter’s sealed cloth. A Certificate of Authenticity accompanies a transcription of all the inscriptions, including the signatures and seals. For other examples of a chawan inscribed with the same phrase by Seki Bokuō, please see: Dujin, Veljko: Zenmi- A Taste of Zen: Paintings, Calligraphy, and Ceramics from the Riva Lee Asbell Collection. Delray Beach, Morikami Museum, 2011. p. 90-91.