Tea bowl with incised turtles late 18th - early 19th century

This Raku tea bowl, created by Raku Ryōnyū (1756-1834) in the late 18th or early 19th century, is a fine example of Japanese ceramics. It features a black glaze and incised turtles, which are highlighted with gold. This tea bowl, now located in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, was crafted for the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, a ritualized process of preparing and drinking green tea.