Bowl 19th century

This ceramic bowl was made in Japan by Nonomura Ninsei, who died in 1694. The decoration shows a group of figures at leisure, perhaps suggesting a kind of idealized social gathering. Ninsei’s workshop in Kyoto was known for its elegant pottery style, which was closely associated with the tea ceremony as it developed in Japanese culture. The rituals of tea became increasingly important to samurai culture, in which a highly refined simplicity was favored as a retreat from the formalities of public life. Historians interpret the imagery on pottery and lacquerware with great care, for they often hint at the cultural values of their patrons. The figures depicted on this bowl, for example, may indicate a nostalgic longing for an aristocratic past. By researching the tea ceremony, and the significance of pottery in early modern Japan, we can come to see how this particular bowl functioned within a specific cultural context.